Internationally acclaimed architect Lina Ghotmeh has been selected to redesign the Jadids' Legacy Museum in Bukhara, which will reimagine the former home of the first president of the Bukharan People's Republic.

Reimagining a historic home as a 21st-century cultural destination, the historic project, commissioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, is set to open in 2027 and marks Lina Ghotmeh's first Central Asian project.

The museum will honor the principles, accomplishments, and lasting impact of Jadidism, a reformist movement that aimed to modernize education, broaden cultural perspectives, and promote advancement throughout Central Asia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Jadids' Legacy Museum. Elevation sketch. Render by Lina Ghotmeh - Architecture. Courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

The Arabic and Persian words "jadid," which imply "new," are the origin of the phrase "Jadid." Originally used to characterize contemporary educational methods, it eventually evolved to represent a broader trend of social and cultural revitalization throughout Central Asia.

The museum will occupy a building immersed in the intellectual and political history of the city, housed in the old house of Usmon Khodjaev (1878-1968), a prominent member of the Jadid movement and the first President of the Bukhara People's Republic. 

Khodjaev, who was born into a family of Bukhara merchants, studied in Istanbul and established a fund to build Jadid schools there. In 1913, he went to Uzbekistan to help in the formation of the Young Bukharans, a group of Jadid scholars and educators who wanted to modernize their city.

Jadids' Legacy Museum. Iwan. Render by Lina Ghotmeh - Architecture. Courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

Later in his career, Khodjaev held academic and diplomatic positions in a number of nations before taking the helm of the Institute for the Study of Turkic Culture in Ankara. Khodjaev's home is a testament to this period of change, located next to Lyabi-Hauz, Bukhara's well-known plaza and social hub from the 17th century. Professor Temur Khodja, the son of Khodjaev, has committed the property to the Ministry of Culture in an effort to maintain it as a museum honoring the Jadid tradition.

The museum is a component of the ACDF's objective to establish iconic cultural institutions that honor Uzbekistan's rich cultural and intellectual legacy and engage audiences around the globe. 

The ACDF is revitalizing the city's long-standing significance as an intellectual center for Uzbekistan, Central Asia, and beyond, in addition to the just inaugurated inaugural Bukhara Biennial.

Jadids' Legacy Museum. Home. Render by Lina Ghotmeh - Architecture. Courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

"This project allowed me to explore the Jadid movement"

Lina Ghotmeh discusses the significance of the Jadids' Legacy Museum in a world where architecture can tell a potent story about our past and future. Her remarks demonstrate her dedication to respecting past while igniting current discussion. 

"Working on this museum is an honour, as it aligns with my fascination for history and heritage and my constant search for meaningful inspiration to shape the architecture of tomorrow," said Lina Ghotmeh, architect for the Jadids' Legacy Museum.

"This project allowed me to explore the Jadid movement, whose courage to reimagine education and society - placing women at the heart of social transformation - I deeply admire," she explained. 

"Their vision carries an important lesson for our own time. My ambition is to create an architecture that elevates history into contemporary life, generating a space that invites reflection, fosters learning, and bridges the values of the past with the possibilities of the future. I am proud to work with visionary Gayane Umerova and the many local artisans to shape this project," she added.

Jadids' Legacy Museum. Scholarly impact. Render by Lina Ghotmeh - Architecture. Courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

Lina Ghotmeh employs an approach she refers to as the "Archaeology of the Future," incorporating historical memory into modern design. 

She is well-known for her award-winning projects, including Stone Garden in Beirut, the Serpentine Pavilion, built in 2023, in London, and her most recent appointment to renovate the Western Range galleries of the British Museum in London.

"The Jadids' Legacy Museum will tell the story of visionaries whose belief in knowledge, cultural renewal, and openness resonates powerfully today. In Bukhara, their legacy is part of the city's fabric, and an inspiration for all generations," said Gayane Umerova, Head of the Department for Creative Economy and Tourism of the Presidential Administration and Chairperson of ACDF.

"We aredelighted to work with Lina Ghotmeh, whose humanist approach, rooted in memory, place, and dialogue, makes her the idealpartner to create a space that speaks to Uzbekistan's identity and our belief in the transformative power of ideas," Umerova added.

With the construction of the National Museum of Uzbekistan, designed by Tadao Ando, the revitalization of the Center for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent, and Uzbekistan's participation in major international events and cultural forums, such as Expo 2025 Osaka and the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2025, the Museum will join an expanding network of institutions throughout Uzbekistan that are providing Central Asia's voice to urgent global conversations about cultural identity, progress, and heritage.

Born in Lebanon, as the founder of the globally recognized firm Lina Ghotmeh-Architecture, Lina Ghotmeh is renowned for her award-winning, environmentally conscious, and historically inspired designs. 

Her work combines innovation and traditional craftsmanship to create architecture that is inclusive, eco-friendly, and forward-thinking. Her theory, Archaeology of the Future, encourages a close relationship between materials, nature, and history.

The top image in the article: Jadids' Legacy Museum. Garden View. Render by Lina Ghotmeh - Architecture. Courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF). 

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