Architects: Studio Anne Holtrop
Year: 2024
Photographs: Anne Holtrop
Category: Museums & Exhibit, Heritage
Collaborators: Benjamin Arleth, Johanna Bindas, Alessandro Lanello, Leonardo Manti, Alexander Poulikakos, Philippine Radat, Mohammad Salim, Remco Siebring, Constança Girbal Eiras, Simon Skogstad, Christian Vennerstrøm
Structural Engineering: Mario Monotti
Conservation Expert: Gaetano Arricobene Architects
Glass Engineering: Bollinger+Grohmann
Climate Consultant: INEX Engineering
Local Engineering: Ismail Khonji Associates
Mep Engineering: SJM
Construction: Almoayyed, Bokhowa Group
Steel Work: Ronchetti srl
Glass Production: Atelier Emmanuel Barrois
Client: Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Kingdom of Bahrain
Site: Part of Pearling Path, Testimony of an Island Economy, UNESCO World Heritage Site
City: Muharraq
Country: Bahrain
The Siyadi Pearl Museum and Mosque renovation project by Anne Holtrop in Muharraq, Bahrain, has revitalized significant architectural elements tied to the Gulf’s pearling heritage through careful restoration and contemporary reinterpretation. As part of the Pearling Path—a cultural heritage route celebrating Bahrain’s millennia-old pearling economy—the project preserves key sites associated with historic pearl merchants. The intervention removes later, incompatible additions and reconstructs missing portions using the alignment of existing foundations. A new plastering technique differentiates restored segments from original structures, maintaining historical integrity while enhancing spatial clarity. Coral stone and layered lime-based plasters echo traditional Bahraini building practices, and select rooms now house exhibitions featuring pearl artifacts from major regional and international collections.
For centuries, pearling shaped the economic and cultural foundation of Bahrain’s island society. As a major center of the trade, Bahrain attracted pearl divers and crews from across the Gulf, relying on the seasonal harvest of pearls to sustain a wide network of merchants, creditors, boat owners, captains, divers, sail-makers, and others.
The architectural and spatial remains of this tradition in Muharraq and Bahrain’s northern waters are the last preserved examples representing the full narrative of the region’s pearling culture.
Among the most significant structures along the Pearling Path are the Siyadi and Murad clusters. Both families played a prominent role as pearl merchants. The Siyadi Majlis is a rare architectural example, where Tajir Al-Lulu once hosted buyers from India and Europe and held negotiations for select pearl collections.
The renovation of the Siyadi Majlis and its adjacent mosque began with the removal of incompatible additions made over time. The buildings were reduced to their historic cores, and the missing elements were reconstructed by continuing existing wall alignments, guided where possible by original foundations. These newly created rooms will serve as exhibition spaces, displaying pearl jewelry and loose pearls from the Bahrain National Museum, Mattar Jewelers, and the Cartier Collection.
Coral stone (froush) forms the core structural material, traditionally finished with a two-layer lime plaster. The historic method involves a thick hand-thrown base coat, followed by a smoother top layer often carved with gypsum and lime reliefs and decorated with painted motifs. The guestroom in the Siyadi Majlis retains distinct decorative elements unique within Muharraq.
To mark the difference between original and new construction, a revised plastering approach was introduced. This method leaves both plaster layers partially exposed. After the rough base is applied, a 2.5-meter-wide smooth top layer is smeared from bottom to top, creating irregular edges with a refined surface, preserving the tactile quality of the original plaster while asserting its contemporary nature.
In the main exhibition room, which reaches a height of 7 meters, plaster surfaces are finished with silver foil. Over time, the silver acquires a soft golden patina through exposure to air and humidity, evoking the rich historical interior treatments of spaces like the Siyadi Majlis.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Muharraq, Bahrain
The location specified is intended for general reference and may denote a city or country, but it does not identify a precise address.
