A UK-based architecture practice has secured a major international cultural commission after winning the design competition for a new Museum of Jesus’ Baptism at Bethany, Jordan, a project positioned as a globally significant spiritual and heritage landmark due to open in 2030.
Níall McLaughlin Architects (NMLA) has been selected by The Foundation for the Development of the Lands Adjacent to the Baptism Site following a six-month invited international competition. The announcement was made on 10 February 2026 and concludes a highly competitive process managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants, which brought together seven leading international studios.
The competition sought an architect-led, multidisciplinary team capable of delivering an exemplary museum dedicated to the history and theological significance of baptism within the Christian tradition. An advisory panel comprising global experts in architecture, landscape design, museums and heritage assessed submissions before making a recommendation to the Foundation’s board.
Níall McLaughlin Architects’ winning proposal was recognised for its layered, immersive storytelling and its ability to translate spiritual themes into architectural form. The concept focuses on baptism as a symbol of renewal and new life, responding closely to the competition brief’s call for a building that “evokes wonder and humility” while remaining sensitive to its desert setting and neighbouring UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The museum is conceived as a symbolic east–west journey. Visitors will descend from an arid wilderness garden into the earth, encounter a water-filled rift representing the Jordan River, and then emerge into light and a productive paradise garden. The eastern entrance and western exit are aligned across a public square, while a stepped landscape rises onto the roof, offering panoramic views across the Jordan River valley and the pilgrimage route leading to the Baptism Site.
Materially and structurally, the design draws heavily on Jordanian vernacular architecture. Locally sourced stone and rammed earth construction techniques anchor the museum low within the landscape, minimising visual impact while reinforcing a sense of place. The landscape strategy, led by Kim Wilkie Landscape, allows the surrounding wilderness to envelop the building, with enclosed gardens planted with scented native species. Exhibition design by Nissen Richards Studio uses light, sound and texture to create what the team describes as an immersive narrative of “wilderness, water and witness”.
Dr Tharwat Almasalha, chair of the advisory panel and chair of the Foundation’s board, said the proposal successfully balanced ambition and restraint. “We congratulate Níall McLaughlin’s team on their proposal which excels in telling the story of baptism – highlighting its power to offer spiritual renewal and new life,” he said.
“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.
“This proposal responds sensitively to the luminous setting in the wilderness and the adjacent UNESCO site. Though modest in size and form, the design has exceptional resonance: it will be attuned to human and divine connections. Together with the NMLA-led team we’re determined to create a museum that will be a global exemplar and acclaimed as a universal symbol of peace.”
Níall McLaughlin MBE, principal of Níall McLaughlin Architects, responded alongside Kim Wilkie CBE and Pippa Nissen, founder of Nissen Richards Studio. “We are delighted to receive the news that we are the winners of the competition for the Museum of Jesus’ Baptism at Bethany, Jordan. It is an extraordinary site with a profound history,” they said.
“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. 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.”
They added: “We now look forward to working with the Foundation to develop the design in dialogue with enthusiastic local and international experts. We relish the opportunity to learn more about this beautiful country.”
The Foundation will now work with NMLA to progress the design in coordination with UNESCO and in partnership with local communities and stakeholders. The museum will anchor the wider Baptism Development Zone masterplan and is expected to attract between 400,000 and 450,000 visitors annually, based on current projections.
Competition director Malcolm Reading said the winning scheme stood out for its balance of ambition and practicality. “We searched globally for the best talent for this commission and the NMLA team rose to the varied challenges of this project and site,” he said. “The new museum promises to be highly sensory and memorable… yet the scheme is also pragmatic and considered in how it responds to the realities of the budget and local resources.”
For Níall McLaughlin Architects, whose portfolio includes major heritage and academic projects across the UK, the commission represents another milestone following recent honours including the RIBA Stirling Prize and the RIBA Gold Medal. The Bethany museum is set to become one of the practice’s most internationally visible projects, reinforcing the UK’s presence in the global cultural and heritage design sector.
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