Zainul Abedin Art Museum

Located on the banks of the Old Brahmaputra River in Mymensingh, the Zainul Abedin Art Museum is conceived as a landscape-integrated cultural space dedicated to the life and work of the celebrated Bangladeshi artist. The design draws from Abedin’s deep connection to rural Bengal, shaping the museum as a sequence of sloped roofs, sunken galleries, courtyards and river-facing paths that merge architecture with the terrain. During the dry season, the building remains embedded within a walkable green landscape. In monsoon, rising river water enters a controlled cut in the site, allowing boats to dock within the lower level and linking the museum directly to the Brahmaputra. A central fountain responds to the changing water level, reinforcing the continuous relationship between river, landscape and architecture. The project transforms seasonal flooding from a constraint into an experiential element, framing Abedin’s legacy through the environmental rhythms that influenced his art and everyday life.