The adaptive reuse and substantial addition to Qasr al Muwaiji, a historic fort and grounds within the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates creates a new learning, research, and exhibition facility committed to preserving and providing access to collections relating to Gulf history. Clad entirely in glass, the new structure offers unobstructed views of the grand fort and bears lightly on its grounds. Meanwhile, the refurbished fort houses a permanent exhibition that culminates in a tour of the original rooms of the historic palace. 

The complex offers uninterrupted access to a vast garden set under a continuous tree canopy and includes a range of amenities: fountains, pedestrian plazas, and shaded parking. The preserved date palm grove is irrigated by an active falaj system that harkens to the traditional farming practices of the area. 

The second phase of the project includes a research center built immediately outside the fort and carefully integrated within the surrounding date palm grove. Its open ground floor blends almost seamlessly into the landscape, while an upper story with a library, reading rooms, classrooms, and offices is nestled within the tree canopy. A multi-use auditorium, café, bookstore, temporary exhibit space, and archives are concealed underground. The anchor of the building is its three-story, green-walled atrium, shaded by a sizable canopy and animated by a reflecting pool. This space sits on-axis with the Fort Palace and is counter-balanced by a glass tower that houses archival materials.