Finalist (Toshiko Mori Architect), Jordan International Design Competition

Toshiko Mori Architect was selected as one of seven finalists in the international competition for the Museum of the Baptism of Jesus, planned for the town of Bethany in Jordan.

Toshiko Mori Architect (US)

With Landscape Design – West 8; Exhibition Design – Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects; Engineering – Arup; and Lighting Consultant – Kilt Planning.

Our project for the Museum of Jesus’ Baptism envisions a modest, contemplative sequence of structures – an expression rooted in humility, authenticity, and reverencefor place. Conceived as an ode to the simple dwelling of John the Baptist, the museumis built from local clay and stone using traditional vaulted construction, connecting cultures and faiths across time. The design creates a timeless presence that belongsto its setting both physically and spiritually, offering a place where history, faith, and geography converge.

The museum unfolds as a series of pavilions and gardens that explore botany, geology,archaeology, and anthropology, revealing how nature, culture, and faith intertwine inthis sacred landscape. Woven between the pavilions, the gardens invite wandering, reflection, and engagement with water and light as unifying elements. Through restraint and resonance, the project creates a peaceful, reverential experience that honors John the Baptist while celebrating the enduring, universal message of faith and renewal from Bethany Beyond the Jordan.