Project description:

The Argan Tree Museum aims to discover an exceptional heritage recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve and listed as immaterial world heritage. The argan tree is a rare and endemic tree which only grows spontaneously in Morocco. The argan forests of the southwest host rich biodiversity and act as a bulwark against desertification.

The multiple and diverse uses of the argan tree by populations is clearly one of the most fascinating aspects of this resource. Certain uses are very old, such as the use of argan oil for light, whereas others, such as the production of cosmetic products, are recent.

Designed to accommodate different audiences and diverse cultural backgrounds, the museum will have an educational, entertainment and exhibition function. This new space will attract new audiences, with the potential to accelerate the enthusiasm around argan, its properties and qualities. The common universe of cultural relations between the argan tree, argan oil and society will be strengthened, which will help to give an image of recovery as a constituent element.

The Museum is designed to offer visitors an experience, using interactive attractions to present argan world – starting with their origins in nature and the exceptional ecosystem; going through the process of transformation from tree to product; ending in the challenges and the future of argan.

The visitor will explore the different exhibition areas, discovering in each of them amazing scenarios in which scenic elements, models, graphics, multimedia technologies and other exhibition types combined.

The visitor journey develops into two conceptual zones, structured around two main themes: Natural Dimension – Tree and Forest; Cultural Dimension – the Argan Tree and the Man.

At the beginning of the journey, the visitors will be introduced to the vital ecological function of the forest before entering into the fascinating botanical universe of the tree. Then, will see the many ways that Moroccans use the argan tree, as well as the preponderant role of women in the preservation and transmission of argan traditions. Further on, will learn about the threats to the forest and the initiatives taken to deal with these dangers. And finally, the inhabitants of the argan forest themselves will reveal in their own words their feelings and hopes for the future of the argan tree.