When tanks speak: spatial semiotic analysis of the Royal Tank Museum

Abstract This study examines the Royal Tank Museum in Amman, Jordan, as a multimodal spatial text using a social semiotic framework. It explores how military displays are used as semiotic tools to convey national and educational narratives through the Museum’s architectural layout, spatial organization, and curatorial choices. The study investigates the representational meanings expressed by all the Museum exhibits by focusing on “participant” roles (represented vs. interactive) and “process” types (conceptual, narrative, analytical) and “transitivity” (non-directional, unidirectional, and bidirectional), drawing on Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar. The results show a curatorial approach that prioritizes the symbolic representation of tanks as symbols of technological progress and national strength, focusing primarily on “conceptual processes” and “represented participants.” The analysis shows a didactic approach with little interactive participation, despite the RTM’s dual aim of articulating both Jordan’s national legacy and global military history. A regulated narrative that upholds military pride and national identity is shaped by this predilection for one-way knowledge transmission. By providing a thorough semiotic examination of how the visual and spatial components of the Museum shape meaning and affect visitor interpretation, the work advances the field of spatial discourse analysis and museum studies.