HERITAGE INTERPRETATION CENTRE OF TIZNIT CITY (CIPT) | salima naji

The ancient fortress, built in pise in 1810 before the city walls, became a prison from 1926 to 1990. It has now been converted into a cultural space: a museum has been built in rammed earth too to showcase the region's building techniques and intangible heritage. A full-scale granary and, in the garden, a space reserved for all kinds of shows, an open-air theater.

Once military barracks and then a prison, Tiznit’s Kasbah Aghenaj was abandoned and left in disrepair. Naji has been rehabilitating and converting the site into a living heritage centre – including intangible heritage such as performing arts, social practices, and the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

By using stone, raw earth, bamboo and palm leaves for the construction – materials considered by Morocco’s planning regulations as only for decorative rather than structural purposes before 2010 – the architect avoids the need for air conditioning; to ensure thermal comfort, the adobe envelope is very thick, and the openings are limited. Passive ventilation evacuates the heat, and the hygrometric qualities of the adobe make the interior spaces more comfortable.

Inside the museum, a stone and wood AGADIR is built at a scale that raises awareness among the residents, especially younger ones, of the ancestral organisation that continues to exist in the region. The question of sustainability is at the heart of Naji’s approach: she chooses to follow the lessons of enduring vernacular forms by using local materials, respecting the environment and highlighting the local culture.