House of Architectural Heritage is a minimal architecture project located in Muharraq, Bahrain, designed by Leopold Banchini Architects and Noura Al Sayeh. The project is conceived as a beam structure that frames the existing adjacent walls of the two neighboring buildings serving as a showcase for the architectural heritage of the city, the old as well as the new. The building is an intrinsic expression of the urban condition of the plot, offering an x-ray view into the urban form of the city, revealing the different phases of construction that the city has witnessed, from coral stone to block work walls. The inner glass facades can be completely opened, uniting the exhibition space with the exhibition content of the surrounding walls. The archival documents of John Yarwood are exhibited and stored on a mezzanine level alongside a small architecture library, within the height of the concrete beam protected from direct sunlight. The two main facades contain two sliding doors that can be lifted within the height of the beam, completely opening the exhibition space to the streets, and transforming the building into a public passage. The exhibition space becomes one with the street encouraging more public participation and interaction.

Photography by Dylan Perrenoud