Architecture firm Studio Ann Holtrop renovated the Siyadi Pearl Museum and Mosque in Bahrain, using plastering techniques designed to preserve its past features.
Located in the historic pearl-diving region of Muharraq, the project involved renovating two existing coral stone buildings: a dilapidated museum and an adjacent mosque.
Studio Anne Holtrop renovated a museum and mosque in Bahrain
Aiming to highlight the building’s historic character, Studio Ann Holtrop removed a section of the building’s addition before extending the existing walls and updating the façade.
“The remaining historic elements will be stripped away and the missing parts of the building will be added by extending the existing walls and their orientation. [which are] “It is more or less based on discovered historical foundations,” the studio said.
The studio introduced new plastering techniques
To distinguish the new walls from the existing ones, the studio established a plastering technique that is employed throughout the museum’s interior and exterior.
The process is done by first applying a layer of rough plaster and then a smooth layer partially from the bottom to the top of the surface, resulting in a textured finish where both plaster layers are visible.
“In this way, new and unique plastering techniques were used while preserving the original character of the plaster of the past,” the studio said.
Large glass doors provide access to the museum
On the first floor, the museum is entered through a large revolving glass door clad in metal, which contrasts with the rest of the natural material palette and earthy colours.
Inside, a series of interconnected angular rooms at different heights display pearl jewellery and loose pearls, complete with minimalist décor with black-framed glass cabinets.
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Textured walls and ceilings are featured throughout the room, contrasting with the wooden walls and doors.
At the heart of the museum is the seven-metre-high main exhibition room, whose plaster walls are finished with silver leaf that reacts with the air and humidity to create a golden patina throughout the interior, while clerestory windows allow light into the space.
“The silver finish in the main room references historically rich interior decorations such as the Siyadi Majlis,” the studio said.
The main exhibition room is finished in silver leaf.
Along the front of the museum, the exterior of the mosque has been restored to highlight its decorative façade, and the interior is now accessible by a staircase through the museum.
The studio space retains its exquisitely crafted elements, including wooden doors, stained-glass panels and decorative ceilings.
The mosque’s elaborate elements were left intact
Studio Ann Holtrop is an architecture firm active in Amsterdam and Muharraq, founded by Ann Holtrop in 2009. The studio’s recent projects include the renovation of a concept store in London, with plaster walls that look like fabric.
Elsewhere, MORE Architecture has completed a concrete museum as a “countermeasure to China’s museum boom”, and Kengo Kuma has unveiled a museum in Seoul featuring flowing aluminium pipes.
Photo by Ann Holtrop.
