The urban context of the new Museum, surrounded by high rise housing and a ring road, determined its compact character. The building is placed as a single bulk at one of the edges of the lot available, leaving the space remaining as facility for the city. The entrance is located at the end of this plaza, slightly elevated above the level of the nearby roads, becoming a public space for the city as well as an outdoor lobby for the museum. The existing palm garden aside was kept and extended in order to include it within the exhibition space. The Museum is meant to host an outstanding archaeological collection from sites in the Almeria area, formerly located in dispersed places.
The building, seen from the outside, is compact towards the city, made out of natural marble stone pieces from Almeria quarries. Inside, a series of different spaces are connected by a large void, which orientates the visitor and links the rooms for the permanent collection and the several activities being held. Administration spaces, stack along the inner void in five levels, include offices, library and workshops.
All rooms allow exhibitions to be organised parallel to the walls, which isolate the inner spaces from the harsh surroundings. Only in some places these walls open up as viewpoints towards the city, whereas light is provided by means of skylights on the ceilings. A filter for direct light is constructed with a varnished wooden grid suspended over the exhibition rooms.
