Aceh Tsunami Museum was designed by architect from Bandung, West Java, Ridwan Kamil. This museum is a four-storey structure with an area of 2500 m² whose curved walls are covered by geometric reliefs. Inside, visitors enter through a narrow and dark passageway between two high water walls to recreate the atmosphere and panic of the tsunami. The museum walls are adorned with pictures of Saman dancing people, a symbolic meaning to Aceh's religious power, discipline, and religious beliefs. From the top, the roof formed a wave of the sea. The floor is basically designed like a traditional Aceh stage house that survived the tsunami.
The 2004 Aceh tsunami killed up to hundreds of thousands of lives, leaving the names of victims and families left behind. There is a room called Space of Sorrow or Prayer Well, where visitors can see the names of the victims of the 2004 Aceh Tsunami. The various names of victims are stuck to the walls of the Space of Sorrow room.
In addition to its role as a memorial to the dead, the museum is also useful as a refuge for such disasters in the future, including "refugee hills" for visitors if a tsunami occurs again.
