Sumayya Vally and Counterspace Design Elie Khouri Art Foundation

Architect Sumayya Vally and her practice Counterspace have been appointed to design the permanent home of the Elie Khouri Art Foundation in Dubai, set to open in late 2028. The project will see an existing villa in the Jumeirah 1 district transformed into a contemporary art institution, combining exhibition galleries, educational spaces, pavilions, and gardens.

The foundation, established by French-Lebanese collector and philanthropist Elie Khouri, will build on over two decades of collecting contemporary art. Khouri, who has been based in Dubai since the 1990s, said, “Art belongs in everyday life, not apart from it.” The program, under the direction of Caroline Louca, will draw from Khouri’s collection of works by more than 300 artists as a starting point, with plans for changing exhibitions, institutional collaborations, loans and educational initiatives.

For the architectural transformation, Vally draws inspiration from Beirut’s city structure and the private courtyards typical of Gulf homes. The design considers how the domestic character of the villa, its doors, cornices, balustrades, and original arrangement of rooms, can inform a new public identity for the institution. Vally said the project begins with a house that has already held a world within it, and that the architectural details and the way the rooms are organized reflect the building’s previous life.

The planned spaces extend beyond galleries, encompassing pavilions, gardens, hospitality areas, and outdoor settings for seasonal events and gatherings. This blend of exhibition, learning, and social spaces reflects the foundation’s ambition to encourage encounters with contemporary art beyond the traditional museum experience. Louca, appointed as director after her roles at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and Christie’s Middle East, said the foundation is focused on making the place part of the community and encouraging visitors to ask questions and return.

Serpentine Pavilion 2021 designed by Counterspace Studio led by Sumayya Vally — Photo: Images George Rex / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

The foundation’s location in Jumeirah 1, one of Dubai’s oldest and most established neighborhoods, is intended to foster this sense of community. The villa, previously home to an Emirati family in the 1980s, retains elements of old-school Gulf architecture that resonate with the area’s history.

Khouri said the foundation is intended to support talent internationally and also to look at the best artists from the Middle East. Initial exhibitions will focus on works from Khouri’s collection, with later shows involving loans and collaborations. Over time, a separate Ekaf collection is expected to be established.

The foundation’s program won’t be limited to exhibitions. Louca described plans for talks, lectures, and educational activities, aiming to create a place where people feel comfortable to engage with art and ideas. The foundation is also looking to hire a curatorial team closer to the opening date, with the intention of developing a program that includes both local and international perspectives. Khouri began planning the foundation about five years ago, working with the Delfina Foundation in London to study what Dubai’s art scene needs. He said Dubai’s support for entrepreneurship and ambition influenced his decision to create a private institution, which he believes is essential for building a unique cultural identity in the city.

Vally’s Johannesburg-based team at Counterspace will oversee the transformation, considering how the villa’s domestic qualities can be adapted for public use. The design will use the existing structure as a starting point. That will allow the memory of the house to shape the future identity of the foundation. The project is intended to encourage collaboration and exchange with artists and institutions in the UAE and internationally. Vally said she hopes that artists, designers, researchers, and makers from the region will bring new ideas to the foundation, and that the institution will continue to develop in ways that cannot yet be predicted.

The team plans to hire a curatorial staff closer to the foundation’s completion.

The magazine has also looked at Powerhouse Parramatta, Sydney’s museum.