Tree of Life Visitor Center

Bahrain

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Tree of Life Visitor Center

Bahrain

Firm

BBA

Type

Cultural › Museum

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2014

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

BUDGET

$50K - 100K

The Tree of Life is Bahrain’ main natural wonder, believed to be more than 400 years old, located in the center of an Islamic period’s archaeological site in the middle of the southern desert. The Ministry of Culture decided to build a small visitor center aimed to protect and promote this archaeological site.

The architectural intervention respects the main “message” that the Tree of Life “delivers” to its visitors: standing alone, surviving the heat of the desert. Thus, the visitor center takes the form of a natural land barrier/wall in the shape of a circle all around the Tree, created by an earthwork process where nothing was lost or gained: excavation and refilling process.

It merges with the surrounding ground, so not to obstruct the sculptural beauty of the tree and the ruins. As a result, the natural barrier keeps cars in the outer ring, devoting the inner ring for pedestrians: visitors arriving to the site must park their cars away, walk to reach the landmark, feel the heat, therefore becoming one with the Tree.

But this 800 meter long wall, curving up and down as per the topographical contours, is not just a “silent” wall: the Tree of Life has many “sisters” all over the world, which enjoy in their turns a particular status and spot in their natural context and country of origin. 19 of these trees are graphically represented on the wall, displaying information about their respective name, location, direction and distance from Bahrain’s Tree of Life.

These 19 display boards are fixed all along the circular wall, each positioned according to its geographical location in the world. The result is an outdoor circular gallery where visitors, in addition to the perceptional and physical experience of walking around the Tree of Life, can learn also about other trees: walking and learning become one.

Some segments of the circular wall provide public facilities for visitors: an amphitheater for outdoor cultural events, a shaded gallery with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Tree of Life of Bahrain, plus basic utility services.

The visitor will question the reason why the Tree is not at the center of the circular pathway; but after a walk around the tree, he or she will figure out the reason. In fact, if the tree was in the center, then it would have been seen in the same size and distance when the visitor is walking around the circular ring. But by decentralizing the Tree, it transforms it into a natural sculpture, so that the visitor will experience it from various distances and angles throughout the walk.

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Team

Dawid Pol

Design Team

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Tree of Life Visitor Center

Bahrain

Tree of Life Visitor Center

Bahrain

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team