The multidisciplinary team led by Níall McLaughlin Architects (NMLA) has won the international competition for a new museum in Bethany, Jordan, according to a statement released by the Foundation for the Development of the Lands Adjacent to the Baptism Site (the Foundation).

NMLA founder Níall McLaughlin, the Irish architect, educator, and writer, will receive the 2026 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture. 

The announcement marks the end of a six-month invited competition to select an outstanding architect-led team to create a design for a model new museum devoted to the Christian tradition's history and significance of baptism. 

Malcolm Reading Consultants organized the competition, which resulted in a shortlist of seven international studios and an advisory panel made up of prominent figures in the fields of architecture, landscape, museums, and history.

Níall McLaughlin Architects' winning idea, which focuses on articulating baptism's potential to bring spiritual rejuvenation and new life, impressed both the Foundation and the Advisory Panel with its skill for multi-layered and immersive storytelling. 

In scale and form, the proposal answered the brief’s call for a museum that "evokes wonder and humility in the visitor and responds sensitively to the site."

Visitors will descend into the earth from a barren wilderness garden, then meet a gap filled with water to symbolize the Jordan River, and then re-emerge into the light and a fruitful paradise garden. This vision portrays the new museum as an east-west trip centered by an allegorical sequence. 

As a result, a public square will separate the eastern entrance and western exit. Visitors will be able to see the Jordan River valley and the pilgrimage path leading to the Baptism Site from the open tiered landscape that rises onto the roof between them. 

The museum's form, which lies low in the environment and demonstrates respect to its surroundings and the nearby UNESCO site, was created by NMLA with careful consideration for Jordan's vernacular architecture utilizing rammed earth techniques and locally obtained stone. 

Under the direction of Kim Wilkie Landscape, their landscape plan fills walled gardens with fragrant native plants and lets the environment slowly envelop the museum. The exhibition design, which was created by Nissen Richards Studio, portrays the museum's narrative arc of "wilderness, water, and witness" through variations in light, sound, and material. Engicon, a local consultant, is also a member of the team.

"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. The brief was beautifully written, and the shortlist was exceptionally strong. We felt honored to be chosen to participate with such an interesting group.

"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," said Níall McLaughlin MBE, Principal of Níall McLaughlin Architects, Kim Wilkie CBE, Founder of Kim Wilkie Landscape, and Pippa Nissen, Director and Founder of Nissen Richards Studios.

"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 team added.

In order to improve their design, the Foundation will now collaborate closely with NMLA, UNESCO, local communities, and other stakeholders.

A worldwide significant spiritual and cultural landmark, the museum is scheduled to open in 2030 to commemorate the bimillennial of Christ's baptism. It will enhance the experience of visiting the Baptism Site, which is situated on the east bank of the Jordan River. Al-Maghtas, also known as "Bethany Beyond the Jordan," has been a Christian pilgrimage site for centuries and is generally acknowledged as the location where John baptized Jesus.

The seven international teams shortlisted in the competition were announced in August 2025, and led by the following firms: AAU Anastas (Palestine / France / Jordan);heneghan peng architects (Ireland); Níall McLaughlin Architects (UK); Studio Anne Holtrop (Bahrain / Netherlands); Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO (Mexico); Toshiko Mori Architect (US); and Trahan Architects (US). The shortlist’s concept proposals were revealed via an online gallery in October 2025.

"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," said Dr Tharwat Almasalha, Chair of the competition’s Advisory Panel and Chair of the Foundation’s Board. 

"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."

"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," Almasalha added.

The new museum, focused on Christian themes while being inclusive to all faiths, will serve as a key feature of the Baptism Development Zone (BDZ) and facilitate a spiritual journey for visitors. It aims to promote reflection and learning, guiding guests towards the pilgrimage path leading to the river. With an expected annual attendance of 400,000 to 450,000, the museum's design will adhere to UNESCO's guidelines for impact assessment.

All images © Níall McLaughlin Architects.

> via Malcolm Reading Consultants 

concept museum Níall McLaughlin Architects