Dezeen School Shows: a museum designed to represent the Palestinian experience is among a series of museum design projects from Ajman University.
Also featured is a design for an astronomy museum and another reflecting the experience of grief.
Ajman University
Institution: Ajman University
Course: Architecture Design IV
Tutors: Mohamed Zagloul, Nashwa Shiqwarah, Hana Sharaf and Noor Alyafie
School statement:
“This course aims to develop students’ expertise in synthesising architectural design problems, of a single-use building complex.
“The course deals with applying design strategy for a complex building that has a multifunctional approach.
“The student will have the opportunity to develop a preliminary programme space analysis related to the selected site and develop design scenarios.
“These scenarios should meet project needs, with consideration of the surrounding environment and the topography of the area and all other design-related factors.”
Pan-Arabian Contemporary Art Museum by Mari Angelo Saligumba
“From the Khaleeji coasts, to the shores of the Western Sahara, lies the Pan-Arabian theatre. A location of cohesion where Dialect Continuum is a prominent element that has been shaping and sculpting the topography of culture, people and their expression.
“The project’s goal in mind, was to aim in conveying this complexity through the curations of the art pieces that reflected this element of cohesive diversion with the analogy and motif of the grey mangrove that surrounds the context of where the site lies: Al Zorah Creek.
“Through the ideals of Architectural Poeticism, we relay structure with culture, context and cohesion in telling the story of people within Pan-Arabia through the expressions of the built environment hand-in-hand with the exhibitions.”
Student: Mari Angelo Saligumba
Email: 202211175[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Contemporary Art Museum by Muqeet Ahmed
“Point charges were placed within the site to simulate interacting forces. As these charges respond to one another, they generate invisible fields of attraction and repulsion.
“The resulting field lines map out how these forces move, bend and collide, revealing potential paths for circulation, spatial compression and expansion.”
Student: Muqeet Ahmed
Email: 202310192[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Museum of Astronomy by Omar Kudsi
“The Museum of Astronomy is conceived as an architectural interpretation of cosmic forces.
“The design begins with constellation-inspired base points, generating spatial field lines that express gravity, direction and invisible energy connections.
“These fields evolve into a fluid 3D topography shaped by gravitational pull, then refined into a unified, organic mass.
“The roof behaves like a curved spacetime surface, while the columns act as gravitational wells anchoring the structure.
“Together, they translate the physics of gravity into space, form and movement – creating an immersive environment that celebrates astronomy, exploration and the invisible dynamics that shape our universe.”
Student: Omar Kudsi
Email: 202312054{at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Lume Museum by Nada Darwish
“Lume unfolds as a spatial narrative where architecture embodies emotion. Visitors progress through sequential galleries of overstimulation, anxiety and despair, articulated by fractured geometries, oscillating luminance and symbolic installations.
“From collapse, a compressed passage of shadow gradually expands, fissures in the walls revealing a luminous courtyard. The journey transitions into the calm hall, a contemplative volume where exhibitions are framed in serene clarity.
“A dual-aspect promenade offers axial views toward both courtyard and sea, guiding visitors into the glass geosphere of reflection.
“Here, water, transparency and light coalesce, transforming fragmentation into coherence, despair into hope, leaving each visitor renewed.”
Student: Nada Darwish
Email: nada.darwish.arch@gmail.com
Liminal by Farah Maan Al-Mokdad
“My project is a Museum of Emotion that explores the relationship between fear and joy.
“I was inspired by the moment when we decide to leave our comfort zone and chase a dream – standing between the fear of taking the first step and the joy waiting on the other side.
“The building’s form comes directly from these emotions: sharp, sudden lines that capture fear and smooth, flowing curves that express joy.
“Through this contrast, I wanted to create a journey where the architecture itself guides visitors from tension and uncertainty toward clarity, confidence and emotional release.”
Student: Farah Maan Al-Mokdad
Email: 202310828[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Paradox Museum by Noora Abdallah Mohamad
“Paradox, the Museum of Emotion, guides visitors through a transformative architectural journey.
“It begins with compressed concrete corridors, sharp angles and intersecting paths that evoke tension, struggle and emotional disorientation.
“As visitors move forward, the spatial language slowly shifts, light starts to filter in, forms soften and the atmosphere opens into clarity and calm.
“The experience culminates in a bright, expansive world of glass, greenery and the sea, offering a sense of release and grounding.
“Through this transformation, the museum reveals that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the balance quietly discovered between both.”
Student: Noora Abdallah Mohamad
Email: 202312077[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Tajdīd Museum by Jude Elsheikh
“Tajdīd embodies a journey of emotional rebirth, guiding visitors from disorientation to clarity through spatial transformation.
“Angular, fragmented forms convey the chaos of disorientation, where shifting planes and diffused light unsettle perception.
“As visitors progress, the path straightens, light intensifies and forms open, expressing renewal and clarity.
“The project explores how elements of stillness anchor moments of reflection, while movement through space reinforces emotional transition.
“A reflective pool surrounds the circulation, not merely a backdrop, but a living element moving through and connecting every part of the experience.”
Student: Jude Elsheikh
Email: 202412092[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
The Continuum by Rida Seeman Khot
“The Continuum , ‘A Journey Through Emotion’ is a museum that transforms architecture into an evolving emotional journey.
“Designed to embody the fluid shift between excitement and calmness. The museum is conceived as a continuous spatial experience, where the visitors are guided in continuum – where the moment flows naturally into the next.
“The journey begins with bold, angular forms that introduce a sense of momentum. As visitors move forward, these geometries gradually give way to smoother, more fluid spaces, creating an atmosphere of serenity.
“This spatial transformation mirrors the emotional progression from stimulation to peace.”
Student: Rida Seeman Khot
Email: 202310452[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Vestige Museum by Zina Elbehesy
“The archive of grief unfolds as a spatial journey through the emotional remnants we carry. Vestige Museum examines how loss imprints itself on memory, material and space.
“Each zone reflects a stage of grief through massing, light and depth – moving from fragmentation to clarity.
“The project explores how architecture can hold silent emotional weight while guiding visitors toward understanding and release.
“Designed as both a vessel and a narrative, it preserves grief not as an end, but as a transformation.”
Student: Zina Elbehesy
Email: 202220246[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
The Future Beneath the Waves by Ola Sabbagh
“The Future Beneath the Waves embodies the seamless flow of nature and water, translating the grace of marine life and the strength of ocean currents into an architectural experience.
“The building acts as a sculpted landscape where organic curves guide visitors through shaded pathways, reflective pools and fluid interior spaces.
“As you move inside, the structure feels alive – light filters through layered forms like sunlight breaking through water and circulation flows naturally, echoing ocean movement.
“Blending advanced technology with Earth’s ecosystems, the museum becomes a sensory journey, inviting visitors into a world of discovery, imagination and underwater-inspired architecture.”
Student: Ola Sabbagh
Email: olasabbagh2020[at]hotmail.com
Raya Museum, the museum of Mother Earth and nature by Julia Taleb Sidawi
“This architectural concept emerges from rocks intertwined with tree roots, symbolising resilience, unity and the inseparable connection between what lies beneath the earth and what rises above it.
“The museum is conceived as a living organism, unfolding spaces of knowledge, adventure and mystery that echo natural formations.
“Inspiration from plant cell structures is embedded within the window design, filtering light like a biological membrane.
“Sustainability is integral, drawing from termite mound ventilation systems to achieve passive cooling and continuous airflow.
“Exhibition spaces promote sustainability, provoke emotion and stimulate creativity, creating an inclusive, informative experience for visitors of all ages globally.”
Student: Julia Taleb Sidawi
Email: 202211515[at]ajmanuni.ac.ae
Museum of Resilience by Jana Salam
“The Museum of Resilience is shaped by a single element: a crack that cuts through the entire project and directs the visitor’s movement.
“It expresses two opposing emotions drawn from the Palestinian experience: the fear of war and the hope that emerges after it.
“The journey begins underground in tight, heavy spaces that hold the weight of conflict. As visitors follow the crack upward, the architecture gradually opens, allowing more height, space and light.
“The path eventually leads to calm, elevated areas, creating a clear transition from fear into peace.”
Student: Jana Salam
Email: janasalamsaeed[at]gmail.com
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Ajman University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
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