As Níall McLaughlin joins the ranks of Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry and Norman Foster, in recognition of a lifetime’s work and contribution to global architectural thought, this exhibition looks at his most recent, and possibly most significant project, The Museum of Jesus’ Baptism.
The installation, ‘Immersion’, is a detailed, large-scale model of the museum, designed as a gateway for pilgrims visiting the site, said to be the place of Jesus’ baptism.
Regardless of belief or denomination, to take on a project not just of this scale, but of this international, theological significance, is mind-blowing. Knowing from the confirmation of commission that you will be creating something so powerfully meaningful, and globally known, must be daunting, but here, with the model at the centre of the room, it feels light.
There were other proposals for this museum. Trahan Architects, for example, proposed a project that worked more directly with the landscape and utilised existing water sources, perhaps more referential to the act of baptism than Níall McLaughlin’s central feature.
The final design, now due for completion in 2030, will become a major tourist attraction for visitors and pilgrims. It is designed to evoke the forceful weight of the elements and succeeds in that thanks to recurring juxtapositions of light and weight.
Even here, at RIBA North, the model offers some sense of what that might feel like in the landscape, and for McLaughlin to have the focus of his Royal Gold Medal award pinned on this project must be one of the most dautingly affirming moments in his career.
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The Royal Gold Medal Exhibition is open at RIBA North + Tate Liverpool until 7th June 2026
Words, Kathryn Wainwright
