In March 2007, the ‘Louvre’ – the largest museum in Paris, Frnace – announced that it would build a Louvre branch in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, on Saadiyat Island Cultural District. Saadiyat is a multi-faceted island destination designed to be home to the world’s largest concentration of cultural institutions. Jean Nouvel was chosen as architect for the museum project, which is part of a thirty year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government.
Over the next 20 weeks, a total of 5,638 piles will be driven into the ground, including 4,298 steel piles and 1,340 concrete piles, amounting to 94.2km in length.
The museum is designed as a ‘seemingly floating dome structure’. Its web-patterned dome will allow the sun to filter through. The overall effect is meant to represent ‘rays of sunlight passing through date palm fronds in an oasis.’ The total area of the museum will be approximately 24,000 square meters. Artwork from around the world will be showcased at the museum, with particular focus placed upon bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art. The permanent collection will occupy 6,000 square meters, and the temporary exhibitions will take place over 2,000 square meters. The museum is expected to be completed by 2013.
Saadiyat will include Foster & Partners’ Zayed National Museum and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum among other attractions.
