Níall McLaughlin to design museum of Jesus' baptism in Jordan

Níall McLaughlin Architects has won an international competition to design a museum of Jesus Christ's baptism at Bethany in Jordan.

The announcement comes after a six-month competition to find an architect-led team to design a museum dedicated to the history and significance of baptism in the Christian tradition.

Due to open in 2030 to mark the bimillennial of Jesus' baptism, the Museum of Jesus’ Baptism will serve as a spiritual and cultural landmark, enhancing visits to the baptism site on the Jordan River.

The seven teams shortlisted in the design competition – run by Malcolm Reading Consultants – were revealed last year.

They included AAU Anastas, heneghan peng architects, and Studio Anne Holtrop.

Níall McLaughlin Architects’ winning concept "excels in telling the story of baptism", said Tharwat Almasalha, chair of the competition’s advisory panel and the foundation’s board.

New museum to open in 2030

The proposal was selected for its multi-layered and immersive storytelling, as well as its focus on the power of baptism "to offer spiritual renewal and new life", said Almasalha.

"We look forward to celebrating the bimillennial of Christ’s baptism in 2030 with the opening of the new museum which promises to be an inspiration for Jordan, faith communities, and secular visitors worldwide," he added.

Alongside Níall McLaughlin Architects, the winning team includes Kim Wilkie Landscape for landscape strategy and Nissen Richards Studio for exhibition design.

"The challenge of the design was to find a way to allow the architecture to mediate between a charged landscape and the sacred narratives that arose within it. It demanded a building that could work with allegory," said Níall McLaughlin, Kim Wilkie and Pippa Nissen.

"At the same time, the project needed to use local labor, skills, and resources to achieve something with a sense of social responsibility and low carbon expenditure."

Malcolm Reading, competition director, said: "The new museum promises to be highly sensory and memorable. We believe it will resonate with visitors long after they return home."

Images courtesy of Níall McLaughlin Architects