ENG |
We are inventing a new place in a land where humans have been leaving their marks for thirty centuries. It is a new foundation, a new way of being in the world—here, in this valley.
Our building is intimately tied to its geography, which it celebrates. It will belong to this place, and no other. Yet, it resonates with the world; it cultivates, from within Culture itself, the Universal.
It must also bear witness to the civilization it houses, inscribed within the long architectural journey of Morocco—but without redundancy or nostalgia. Tradition, history, and their icons must not be a crushing weight to cast off in favor of generic, globalized, and bland expressions. Nor can they be reduced to a glossary of forms and motifs, stuck on and emptied of meaning.
For this museum, we seek to engage in a dialogue with History—without anachronism. To root the museum in its time, while giving it breath and depth. We want to create a unique place that adds to the extraordinary richness of the capital’s heritage, one that celebrates it with pride and strength. This heritage is not monolithic—it is a palimpsest, built up in layers, through sedimentation, most often in an additive and positive way. It is Phoenician, Roman, Berber, Arab, Islamic, colonial, modern, and contemporary. The museum simply adds to this vast matrix.
The true architectural tradition in Morocco is its modernity. Morocco has always been a land of new inventions and radical experimentation, grounded in a powerful and serene historical foundation. Today, we must invent a new way of being in the world, and here, in this valley, we can offer an embodiment of that ambition.
Our project is deeply Moroccan, entirely new, and yet familiar.
