Sudan Museum

Khartoum, Sudan

The Sudan National Museum on the banks of the Blue Nile is a treasure trove of the country’s rich cultural history. The main building, a classic example of late modernism, is home to a collection spanning millennia of civilisations, cultures and religions. The museum gardens are a testament to the heroics of the International Nubia Campaign, hosting a number of temples and monuments salvaged during the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

The winning tender proposal was for a complete redesign of the museum complex, covering the main building and the permanent exhibition facilities inside together with a landscaping scheme including new temple shelters and a visitor centre. The design is routed in a contextual approach using materials defining the Nile Valley in Sudan for thousands of years, using sculpted granite blocks and fired ceramic in a reinvention of the museum ground that provides a coherent and stimulating visitor experience. The design was developed to adhere to strong sustainability criteria, providing a contemporary scheme using the latest technologies while being firmly embedded in local traditions.

Project carried out in collaboration with Archinos Architecture and ACE Consulting Engineers Moharram Bakhoum.