Níall McLaughlin Architects has been selected to design a new museum at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the place traditionally identified as where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. This decision came at the end of a six-month international design competition organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants and overseen by a panel of architects and heritage experts. The project sits within the wider Baptism Development Zone, a landscape on the east bank of the Jordan River that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for global pilgrimage. The museum is planned to open in 2030 to coincide with the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s baptism.
Níall McLaughlin’s Vision for the Baptism Museum
The winning design is grounded in an architectural strategy that treats the building and site as a sequence of spatial experiences. The museum is organized as an east–west journey. Visitors first enter through a dry, arid garden that reflects the surrounding wilderness, then descend into the earth and cross a water-filled separation that evokes the Jordan River itself. The path continues into a planted garden of growth and light, symbolizing renewal. This movement from dryness to water and light is meant to echo the spiritual themes of baptism and reflection.
The building is low and embedded into the terrain, keeping a modest profile in relation to the protected archaeological landscape. Materials and construction respond directly to the place, where the walls are formed of locally sourced stone and rammed earth, techniques drawn from Jordanian vernacular traditions. These materials help reduce the building’s carbon footprint while visually and materially linking the museum to its desert setting.
A simple, stepped landscape rises from the museum’s roof, becoming part of the public realm and offering vantage points over the Jordan Valley and pilgrimage routes. From here, visitors can look back along the river path that has drawn pilgrims for centuries. A public square forms a central organizing space, with entrances on both the east and west sides aligned across it.
The design team has placed strong emphasis on social responsibility and local engagement. The project will utilize regional labor and craftsmanship, supporting local economies and knowledge while minimizing environmental impact. Landscape architects have introduced walled gardens filled with native, scented plantings that let the wilderness frame the museum. Inside, the exhibition design uses changes in light, material, and sound to lead visitors through themes of wilderness, water, and witness, creating an immersive atmosphere rooted in both faith and narrative.
As the project moves into its next phase, the design will be refined in collaboration with UNESCO, community representatives, and international stakeholders. When complete, the museum is expected to become a major cultural landmark, helping to deepen understanding of the baptism story and inviting reflection from visitors of all backgrounds.
Image credit: © Níall McLaughlin Architects
