Dr. Mana Saeed Al Otaiba is an inspirational diplomat and poet who commissioned an iconic museum project that expands on his eminent career and life. Al Otaiba museum features important and historical items that highlight Dr. Otaiba’s Diplomatic career, contributions to the founding and development of the UAE, as well as his achievements in the worlds of poetry and literature.

Inspired by Dr. Otaiba’s admiration for the desert, the design approach originates from the openness and flexibility of the Bedouin tent which creates a space for gathering and contemplation. The concept aims at reviving the tent’s identity in a contemporary urban setting and touches on the desert memories of experiencing solitude in the tent.

The proposed approach is comprised of a simpler form of a tent by using two points, on the longer side of the site, to hang the enclosure of the museum. The museum is devised conceptually and spatially into 2 main parts, the museum exhibition on the ground level and the museum archive in the basement level. The architectural fins support a motorized fabric enclosure which helps protect the museum from direct sunlight during the day and creates an illuminated gem at night.