In 1960, the city of Agadir was struck by an earthquake. The kasbah (“fortified city” in Arabic), located on a hill, was completely destroyed and the site abandoned. Agadir Oufla (“Agadir the High” in Arabic) is a strategic place, and sensitive for its value in the cultural heritage. It is in this context that the project combines the construction of a memorial as a place of meditation in memory of the victims and that of an archaeological museum retracing the city’s history. The building consists of a simple geometry, like a shelter open here and there to its natural setting. Its horizontality enables it to fit harmoniously into the landscape. The extreme spareness and great restraint of the spaces evoke traditional Berber architecture. The memorial incorporates the remains of the old wall, following its course and surrounding it before completely detaching itself from it.
