The biggest museums opening this year: Tony Salamé, art collector and founder of famed Middle Eastern luxury retailer Aïshti, commissioned British architect David Adjaye to complete a $100 million home for his private museum of contemporary art. The result? A striking terra-cotta-tiled building that not only houses Salamé’s prized personal collection but also an upscale shopping mall with boutiques, restaurants, and a panoramic rooftop bar.
Funded entirely by Tony Salamé, the art collector and founder of Lebanon’s luxury Aïshti department store, the foundation houses more than 2,000 pieces from his personal collection: The opening exhibit, “New Skin”—curated by Massimiliano Gioni, artistic director of New York’s NewMuseum—features works by some of the greats, including Gerhard Richter, Franz West, and Richard Prince. And be sure to wander outside the David Adjaye–designed structure: Gioni’s wife, Cecilia Alemani, chief curator of New York City's High Line Art, selected sculptures for the gardens by conceptual artists Sterling Ruby, Jeppe Hein, Giuseppe Penone, and Thomas Houseago.
