Doha: What happens when Sindhu Nair, an expat who has pursued a degree in architecture and worked in the field of journalism for almost two decades, decided to start something of her own?
She brings together the two professions she is best at to create a niche marketing content writing and also to bridge the gap in the field of publication in architecture. Thus is born Scale Qatar, a digital platform that brings together news from around the world focusing on art, designs and architecture.
“I am highly passionate about any project I undertake, with an abundance of curiosity and interest to know more about it. This curiosity must be the reason why I pursued a profession in journalism even though I studied to be an architect. I have always wanted to know more about buildings, the architects who worked on their design and their thought-processes,” she said about pursuing two diverse careers.
“Coming to Qatar, with so many buildings coming up, I initially wanted to work in the sphere of architecture but when I realised that most of the designing was not happening in Qatar, I decided to work as an architectural journalist. I then found out that there were no magazines that sphere and then so I answered the job interview for a writer in Qatar Today which was one of the best business magazines in the country. I learnt on the job with the support of my Editor and later went on to study journalism as well,” she explained.
Participants during a webinar on Public Art and the Built Environment hosted by SCALE that brought together art and artists from India and Qatar.
Sindhu said she had the best years during her journalistic career. She handled and later on went to manage three monthly and three bimonthly magazines.
“It was intensely powerful and liberating as well, I travelled for work, interviewed ministers, rubbed shoulders with the best in the industry and wrote about all the pertaining issues at that time. And then at the right time, left it all. I left, with the satisfaction of a job well-done.”
Being in Qatar gave Sindhu a bird’s eye view of the architecture scene in the country and the impetus to start a magazine in this sphere to bridge the gap. The birth of Scale Qatar, a digital magazine put the much-needed focus on architecture from Qatar. “Scale Qatar is an online magazine that writes about projects, designs and art from around the world with a special focus on Qatar because the world needs to know what this small country is achieving in the field of architecture and art. It is read by people who love design, are excited about the happenings of the country, and want to know more about the artists who think and create differently.”
“Scale is the first element you fix when you start designing a building or even start drawing an artwork. The connection of architecture and art is quite basic and Scale is also an instrument that you use while designing. It also means that at Scale, we will be writing about small-scaled projects as well as cover the largest of buildings. Scale makes sense in many levels for an architecture magazine and hence that name. The brand logo also touches on the elements of success, of scaling mountains,” she explained.
We asked her what is her most favourite of the architecture, art and design scene in Qatar.
“My favourite architectural structure here is the Museum of Islamic Arts by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. The building is a simple geometric structure which transforms at various times of the day with the effect of light and shadows. There are so many such masterpieces in Qatar. Each of the building within Qatar Foundation is by a signature architect, the new National Museum of Qatar by Jean Nouvel is another masterpiece of architecture.”
“In the art field, there are many installations that have a deeper meaning that makes us reflect. The East West/West East installation by Richard Serra, the Three Monkeys by Subodh Gupta are all my favourites.”
“In the design field, there are products designed by Thomas Modeen, an architect based in Doha whose work I admire. There is Studio 7 in M7, that brings together designers from the region and exhibits and sells their products.
All of this is so inspiring and to think we had no medium, until Scale arrived to talk about it!”
Scale Qatar is an excellent catalogue of carefully researched articles on public spaces, stadiums, installations, public art, wall art and how the architecture of a space is crucial in elevating the purpose of the structure, art and architecture. She focuses on projects that focus on sustainability, on art works that focus on social change through creativity, on works that peacefully talks about issues like immigrant laws, immigrants, and apartheid.
“The art scene might be still in the nascent stage but the efforts to promote and encourage it is from the leadership in the country and that is an advantage no other country has. With that kind of push and encouragement, the sky is the limit for this country,” she said.
“Art allows people from different cultures and different times to communicate with each other via images, sounds and stories. Art is often a vehicle for social change and at a time when everyone is disillusioned with life, art is the spark that lights up your life. It is the perfect time to chose a career in art and to find ways to market them to have a successful career,” she said about choosing art as a career choice for the new generation.
