In the unique deserts of Wadi Rum, tucked in between its magnificent rock mountains stands the Deiseh Museum with its fossil like spiral architecture. Maisam were asked to bring life to the never completed Natural History Museum through structural and architectural interventions, visitor experience design, interpretive design, collection curation, and exhibition design.

Given that the museum is one for Natural History and its unique natural context, Maisam’s main approach was to build on the natural elements of the site; the golden sands, the rough Rocky Mountains, and the starry night skies, with an intervention that blends with nature and complements its elements as opposed to overpowering them. While tucking the unused parts of the roof under the sands, the major part was activated with layers of light that do not only act as a marker for the building but also house a café and a planetarium. A spiral ramp was introduced to complete the visitor’s journey and take them up to the point of exit or to the roof café while also opening and activating the central courtyard that was completely disconnected. The exterior walls were crisply re-cladded with rough local stone that blends with the textures and tones of the areas and yet stands out with an identity of its own.

Employing a diversified team of experts including geologists, zoologists, botanists and archaeologists maisam has created a one-of-a-kind Museum in Jordan that will not only be a tourism attraction within the area but will also serve its local community of Bedouins and all Jordanians especially children and students.

The museum is mainly about natural history with added elements that interpret geology, zoology, botany and archaeology and ethnography in an engaging and entertaining way. The visitor approaches the museum through the open arms of the wider ends of the spiral (fossil). The walls converge into the main entrance of the museum leading into the main lobby, where there is a ticketing counter, a resting area and the gift shop. The main lobby shall contain an Arabian Oryx taxidermy specimen/model in a mockup environment area, to set the mood for the visitor. The visitor will expect to understand more about the natural history and the environment of the area. The visitor will then walk through a cave-like entrance where all the walls are covered with mock rocks resembling the facades of the mountains of Rum.