(WWII Memorial Museum) - Rommel Peninsula, marsa matrouh, egypt

Project idea

The museum is built right at Rommel’s Cave, a site surrounded by water on three sides. While many only know the cave for its World War II history in North Africa, its true story goes much deeper—it has existed since the Roman Era.

Instead of just focusing on the war, this project tells the complete, untold history of Marsa Matrouh through a chronological timeline. One of the biggest problems with the original Rommel’s Cave is that it is completely hidden .

Project description

- Hidden yet Visible: By blending the building's form into the existing hillside topography, the museum stays grounded in nature but peels upward to announce its presence.

The Pathway & The Cave: The design uses two declined (sloping) forms that naturally carve a path into the earth, enhancing the approach and seamlessly integrating Rommel’s Cave right into the middle of the visitor's physical journey.

The Public Plaza: Above the sunken museum spaces, the roof forms a lifted public plaza. Complete with cafes and viewing decks, it serves as a lively public space for the people of Marsa Matrouh to enjoy the waterfront views.
( The main idea behind the design is a "Journey of Fear and Hope." The architecture uses spaces to make visitors feel the emotions of history)

Technical information

Primary Roof Layer (The Protective Shell): Fabricated from high-strength, post-tensioned Architectural White Concrete Slabs or grc.

Secondary Structural Framing: Directly beneath the concrete shell sits a Three-Dimensional Steel Space Frame / Truss System. This framework distributes the dead loads of the massive cantilevers to the primary vertical cores without requiring dense internal column grids, keeping exhibition spaces wide and open.

Tertiary Enclosure & Thermal Envelope: Implements a high-performance Insulated Curtain Wall Matrix with acoustic dampening. It acts as the thermal barrier separating the harsh exterior coastal climate from the strictly regulated, climate-controlled gallery spaces below.

Materials: Finished in sand-textured white concrete and local limestone to match the Marsa Matrouh landscape, paired with raw, board-marked concrete inside for a dramatic, historic mood and Perforated Metal Shading System

Sustainability & HVAC: Features strategic OVAL UNITS DESIGNED skylights for natural slot-lighting and an underfloor air cooling system with dehumidification to protect exhibits from coastal humidity.