PROJECT: A New Gateway to Petra

LOCATION: Jordan, World Heritage site

DATE: 2003

The World Heritage Site of Petra is in need of protection from its own popularity. Our design for the gateway building to this ancient Nabataean capital choreographed the experience of arrival and the movement around the site to increase the sense of mystery and expectation - to maintain the aura of a 'lost' city that 'reluctantly' reveals its secrets to the visitor.

The design was approved by UNESCO, the World Bank and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA). The major building forms were based on the typical natural features of the ancient Nabataean world. A steep slope across the site provided the opportunity to vary the levels inside, helping to lock the building into its setting. The exhibition galleries were wrapped around a garden of frankincense and myrrh trees - the trees that were the foundation of the great wealth of the Nabataeans.

We worked with archaeological specialists on research into a collection of artefacts that would support the interpretative galleries.

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