Royal Botanic Garden, Jordan

Harris Bugg Studio has created a strategic design framework and masterplan for the development of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Jordan.

The topography of the site is impressive and memorable, setting itself apart from botanic gardens not only in the Middle East but globally. It is situated on the steep, undulating slopes of the highland ridge, soaring above the man-made reservoir below – the largest open body of water of its kind in Jordan. 

The client is committed to making a botanic garden with a world-class reputation that attracts repeat visits and carves out a global name for itself. The functional requirements we have had to address in our work are complex, including very different domestic and international visitor requirements, transport, way-finding, botany, ecology, education, research and income generation. In addition, the garden will help support local communities through training and development, the promotion of Jordanian craft and culture and the protection of age-old ethnobotanic traditions for the future. It is a catalyst for powerful positive change in a region that is under huge pressure of youth unemployment, poverty and migration.

Our response has been to develop a richly layered design narrative which embraces the symbolism, science and culture of Islam and the richness of the Islamic Golden Age, and weaves this into a powerful story of botanic rescue and rehabilitation of the native flora of Jordan. Immersive architectural and landscape interventions will make this botanic garden one of a kind, with compelling reasons to return. 

Our masterplan has been approved; and a phased construction approach is underway with the first phase currently in technical design stages undertaken by a Jordanian team with Harris Bugg as executive designers.