French-Lebanese architect to redesign British Museum galleries
The museum, one of London's biggest tourist draws, received more than 60 entries after launching a competition last year for a remodelling of its Western Range galleries.
Judges were won over by Ghotmeh's "deep understanding and sensitivity towards the museum," it said in a statement, while British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan said Ghotmeh was "an architect of extraordinary grace and gravitas."
Her previous work includes the Hermes Leather Workshop in Louviers, France, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu and Stone Garden Housing in Beirut, the city where she was raised.
Ghotmeh said she looked forward to "transforming this section of the museum into an extraordinary space".
Abstract models of her designs showed a pared-back layout, with artefacts surrounded by wide spaces and archways.
The museum's Western Range galleries house ancient Roman, Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Greek objects -- including the Parthenon Marbles which Greece has long campaigned to have returned to Athens.
The 2,500-year-old sculptures once adorned the Parthenon temple in Athens in honour of the city's patron goddess Athena.
Greek authorities maintain the sculptures were looted in 1802 by Lord Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
London insists the sculptures were "legally acquired" by Elgin and then sold to the British Museum.
One of the models for the redesigned galleries appears to show friezes resembling the ancient marbles set snugly against the museum walls.
The museum did not address the marbles in its statement, which said Ghotmeh's team would work to develop the designs over the coming years.
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Boston Globe
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Recipe: Grab ripe peaches while you can for this one-bowl cake with a cloud of whipped cream
2. With a hand whisk, stir in the sour cream, mascarpone, or creme fraiche. Whisk the cream by hand until it forms stiff peaks. (The final whisking by hand helps prevent overbeating the cream.) 1. Chill the electric mixer bowl for 10 minutes. With the mixer set on medium speed, use the whisk attachment to beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced into wedges (use 4 if you want more) 5. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Invert the pan to turn the cake out. Peel off and discard the paper. Turn the cake right side up. Set it on the rack to cool completely. 4. Bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. A skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. 3. Add the yogurt, eggs, olive oil, Marsala or sherry, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. 2. In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar and orange rind together with your fingers until the sugar looks orange and is saturated with oil from the orange zest. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt until blended. 1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter an 8- or 9-inch round baking pan (2 inches deep). Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit it. Place the pan in the freezer. Fresh, juicy peaches seem like they're only around for five minutes, so seize the day and crown a cake with a cloud of whipped cream topped with sliced peaches. This simple cake is based on a traditional French yogurt cake that schoolchildren learn to make using a glass yogurt jar as a measuring cup for all the ingredients in one bowl. Here we use traditional measuring cups. Pour the batter into an 8-inch round pan for a higher cake or use a 9-inch pan if you'd like a flatter, wider cake to pile on even more peaches. A pastry chef's trick to rub citrus zest into the sugar before adding it to the batter accentuates its flavor by releasing the concentrated oils in the skin. For another little trick, set the buttered cake pan in the freezer while you make the batter, so the butter solidifies and doesn't melt into the batter immediately. The cold sides also help the cake bake evenly and the cake is easier to release from the pan after it's baked. Orange zest and Marsala or sweet sherry in the batter subtly complement the peaches. This everyday cake makes any day a little more special. Makes one 8- or 9-inch cake Fresh, juicy peaches seem like they're only around for five minutes, so seize the day and crown a cake with a cloud of whipped cream topped with sliced peaches. 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