MEDIA FAÇADES AND URBAN BRANDING: INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF LIGHT DISPLAYS IN WEST BAY, QATAR.

Cities worldwide increasingly integrate media façades into urban landscapes, reshaping how people perceive, navigate, and emotionally connect with the built environment. In the Gulf region, where illuminated architecture serves as both spectacle and statement, media façades contribute to nation branding, cultural storytelling, and civic identity. In Doha’s West Bay, they function not only as visual landmarks, but as communicative agents embedded in nighttime public life. This study examines how media façades influence perception and symbolic representation in Qatar’s capital and how residents and visitors interpret their experiential impact. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines field observations, interviews, surveys, and case study analysis, the findings reveal that illuminated façades enhance vibrancy and foster shared narratives; however, concerns persist regarding authenticity, visual dominance, energy consumption, and limited pedestrian engagement. The study outlines culturally grounded design considerations that encourage more place-responsive and peoplecentered media façade practices, moving beyond spectacle toward meaningful urban communication.