Oman Across Ages Museum Wins 2024 Prix Versailles Special Prize

The Oman Across Ages Museum in Manah has been honoured with the esteemed ‘Special Prize for Exterior’ at the 10th anniversary of the Prix Versailles World Titles, one of the most prestigious architectural awards. 

Designed by Australian contemporary architectural practice COX, the museum is located at the gateway of the desert near Nizwa, one of the oldest cities in Oman, 160 kilometres from Muscat. Inspired by the mountainous landscape surrounding it, the museum emerges from its context as a landmark celebrating the country's cultural heritage and economic development. 

Stretched out in a striking white angular shape, the museum’s edged silhouette creates an intangible dialogue with the backdrop of the peaks and ridges of the Al Hajar Mountain range. Two inclined planes lead visitors into the structure, serving as both an entryway and a symbolic representation of the crystalline landscape geometry that inspired the building's design. 

Through COX’s masterful use of structure, scale, geometry, light, and vistas, the museum creates an immersive journey that begins with the exterior views and seamlessly transitions to the interior exhibits. 

The museum's structural system is designed to harmonize with its striking external form while meeting the functional demands of its interior. Utilizing an advanced truss system and rhomboid diagrid, the design achieves expansive, column-free gallery spaces, with spans ranging from 70 to 100 meters and heights of 16 to 30 meters. 

Since 2015, the Prix Versailles has been awarded annually at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, celebrating architectural excellence and highlighting the world’s finest contemporary designs. This year, the event introduced the inaugural World’s Most Beautiful Museums list, which also included the Grand Egyptian Museum. 

Held on December 2nd, the ceremony honored 70 exceptional achievements across eight categories: Museums, Hotels, Restaurants, Emporiums, Airports, Campuses, Passenger Stations, and Sports.