lina ghotmeh to transform uzbek house into jadids' legacy museum

Lina Ghotmeh to design Jadids’ Legacy Museum in uzbekistan

The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) appoints architect Lina Ghotmeh to design the Jadids’ Legacy Museum in Bukhara, a project that reimagines the former residence of reformist leader Usmon Khodjaev as a cultural landmark. Due to open in 2027, the museum is designed to explore the ideas and influence of Jadidism, the reform movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that sought to modernize education, foster cultural renewal, and expand intellectual horizons across Central Asia. The commission also marks Ghotmeh’s first project in the region.

‘The opportunity to work in Bukhara is a profound immersion into an extraordinarily rich history, one that has left behind truly fascinating architectural gems,’ Lina Ghotmeh tells designboom. ‘As you wander through the city’s streets, you are embraced by a heritage that carries you back to the Silk Road, to the architectural wonders of the early Islamic period, through the medieval flourishing under the Timurids, and forward into modern times. To build within this context is to listen carefully to the depth of history and to introduce new spaces – gently, softly, almost as whispers in dialogue with the past.’

The museum is part of a growing network of institutions spearheaded by ACDF that seek to place Uzbekistan’s cultural identity on the global stage. In Bukhara alone, this includes the recently launched Bukhara Biennial, while nationwide initiatives range from the revitalization of the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent to the Tadao Ando-designed National Museum of Uzbekistan, currently under construction (find designboom’s previous coverage here).

elevation sketch | Jadids’ Legacy Museum renders by Lina Ghotmeh – Architecture, courtesy Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

A historic residence Reborn Through Archaeology of the Future

Known for projects such as the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion in London, the Stone Garden tower in Beirut, and her current commission to renovate the British Museum’s Western Range galleries, Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh describes her method as an Archaeology of the Future. ‘It involves delving into the history and context of a place, much like an archaeologist unearths layers of the past, to inform designs that are rooted in memory and place,’ she explains to us. ‘For the Jadids’ Legacy Museum, this approach means creating a space that dialogues with its historical context, offering visitors an immersive experience that connects them to the past while inspiring future reflection.’

The building chosen to house the Jadids’ Legacy Museum once belonged to Usmon Khodjaev (1878–1968), a central figure in the Jadid movement and the first president of the short-lived Bukhara People’s Republic. Born into a merchant family in Bukhara, Khodjaev studied in Istanbul, where he raised funds to establish Jadid schools. Returning to Uzbekistan in 1913, he helped form the Young Bukharans, a group of reform-minded intellectuals advocating for educational and social change. His later career extended into diplomacy and scholarship, including leadership at the Institute for the Study of Turkic Culture in Ankara.

The word originates in Arabic and Persian, where jadid means ‘new’. Initially applied to modern educational methods, the word came to represent a wider program of cultural and social reform in Central Asia. The movement emphasized literacy, the inclusion of women in education, and engagement with global intellectual currents, while remaining grounded in local identity.

ACDF appoints architect Lina Ghotmeh to design the Jadids’ Legacy Museum in Bukhara | Iwan

The Khodjaev Residence as Cultural Landmark

Located beside Lyabi-Hauz, Bukhara’s 17th-century square and gathering place, the house has witnessed a transformative era in the region’s history. In a gesture of continuity, Khodjaev’s son, Professor Temur Khodja, has pledged the property to the Ministry of Culture to guarantee its continuity as a museum dedicated to Jadid heritage. ‘The residence of Usmon Khodjaev is more than a house. It is a vessel of memory, a silent witness to an age of change,’ Ghotmeh tells us. ‘Within its walls echo the voices of a generation that dreamed of new schools, new freedoms, and a new future for Central Asia. It bears the weight of history — the aspirations of the Jadid reformers, the collapse of the Emirate, the shadows of the Soviet years — and now, the possibility of a new chapter where memory and imagination converge.’

The museum will integrate the city’s architectural legacy into its design. ‘Bukhara’s architectural tapestry is profoundly rich, shaped by centuries of cultural exchange and evolution. Our design seeks to honor this complexity by weaving together traditional materials and forms with contemporary interventions, creating a harmonious dialogue between past and present so the museum becomes a meaningful addition to Bukhara’s architectural narrative,’ the architect notes.

the museum is designed to explore the ideas and influence of Jadidism | garden view

Carrying the Jadids’ Vision in Bukhara forward

At the same time, the project will highlight the work of local artisans. ‘Collaboration with local craftspeople lies at the heart of our approach, ensuring the design remains authentic, locally crafted, and culturally resonant,’ Ghotmeh shares. ‘By working with traditional materials — clay, ceramics, wood — and employing age-old techniques passed down through generations, the project both supports the craft community and embeds the museum within the cultural fabric of Bukhara. Our aim is to reinterpret these practices through contemporary applications, transforming the museum into more than an exhibition space — into an inspiring, spiritual environment where tradition and modernity meet.’

For ACDF, the museum is an opportunity to bring these stories into the present, establishing a space for reflection on how the reformers’ vision continues to resonate today. Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of ACDF and head of the Department for Creative Economy and Tourism, describes the project as a chance to connect past and present. ‘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,’ she notes.

the commission also marks Ghotmeh’s first project in the region | home