Perth’s Cox Architecture creates international wonder in the desert sands of Oman

A Perth architectural firm which designed Oman’s newest museum has taken out a prestigious international award. Cox Architecture was presented a world title at the Prix Versailles awards in Paris on Monday night. Judges were in awe of the stunning sleek lines and inclined planes of the Oman Across Ages Museum, which rises from the desert at Nizwa, one of the oldest cities in the country. Cox Architecture director Steve Woodland, who accepted the award at the UNESCO event, drew inspiration from the “extraordinary landscape and geometric profiles” of the canyons and Al Hajar mountains near Nizwa. The Oman Across Ages Museum is billed as “a celebration of the country’s rich history, culture, and economic growth over time while offering a compelling insight into Oman’s tomorrow”. Inside the building’s galleries, visitors are immersed in Oman’s long history as a centre of civilisation. The experience includes installations, displays and performances and the galleries are complemented by a library, auditorium and education, social and research spaces. The museum has cemented itself as a cultural landmark thanks to its enormous scale. The 120,000sqm building appears to rise from the desert sands and stretch into the horizon, with its angular geometry nodding to the mountainous topography nearby. Its heavy stone cladding is a unique and difficult finish for a long-span building and the entire structure is designed to resist seismic activity prevalent in the area. Cox Architects sought to efficiently mitigate the punishing desert temperatures by drawing cool air from an underground labyrinth and distributing it around the building. An intricate truss system allows column-free gallery spans of up to 100m and 30m high. Cox wanted to ensure visitors to the museum left with an understanding of Oman’s complete history. To achieve that goal the building was set out to draw people “through an array of spaces that progress from the raw naturalistic beauty of the soil and rocks, to spaces of increasing volume, refinement and lightness”. “Visitors are on a vast, sweeping journey across centuries and millennia that traces Oman from the first settlers of prehistory to the present, flying through a sequence of ages, dynasties and civilisations,” Cox said. “Special import is given on the nation’s modern renaissance since the 1970s, during which Oman has experienced a remarkable period of economic, technological, political and social modernisation.” Cox Architects is one of Australia’s most respected firms, having designed Perth Children’s Hospital, Woodside’s headquarters at Capital Square and the refurbished Hale House. Cox was also the architect behind Optus Stadium, which Prix Versailles named the “world’s most beautiful sporting facility” in 2019. The Prix Versailles has been running since 2015 and aims to highlight the world’s best contemporary buildings. Two dozen world titles are announced each year in the categories of airports, campuses, passenger stations, sports, museums, emporiums, hotels and restaurants. UNESCO says winners have been able to demonstrate “innovation, creativity, reflections of local heritage, ecological efficiency and the values of social interaction and participation”. Judges grade a building’s ecological, social and cultural impacts as well as functionality and aesthetic appeal.