Dubai, another emirate in the UAE, has been fascinating us for years with its spectacular building projects. These include Dubai Land, which will be the world’s largest amusement park; Hydropolis, the first underwater hotel; and The World, a replica of the Earth’s landmasses consisting of 300 artificial islands. Recent reports have been even more sensational – the UAE will soon have its own Louvre, Guggenheim and a performing arts center. Over a twenty year period the 24,000 m2 museum, to be known as the Abu Dhabi Louvre, will feature rotating exhibits of works on loan from the Paris Louvre. In the future the question of whether or not the Mona Lisa is smiling may be debated not in Paris but on the Persian Gulf, in a futuristic museum complex that is flooded with light. The answer may come to you as you stroll through one of the other three gigantic museums.
Abu Dhabi LouvreOnly the best will do
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, has hired four of the world’s most renowned architects to create the planet's largest space for arts on an island off the coast of the UAE. Frank O. Gehry is to design the largest Guggenheim Museum in the world, which will comprise numerous cubes and prisms. Jean Nouvel is planning the Abu Dhabi Louvre, Tadao Ando is responsible for drafting the minimalist Maritime Museum, and Zaha Hadid will conceptualize the Performing Arts Center, which will include two concert halls, an opera, and two theaters.
Performing Arts CenterIdeal dimensions
All of the museums will be built on a 27 km2 natural island called Saadiyat Island, which is located directly off the coast of the capital city, Abu Dhabi. It will soon have more to offer than just sun, beaches, and sea. Construction is scheduled to begin before the end of this year and should be completed by 2018. In addition to the cultural district, 29 luxury hotels offering a total of 7000 rooms, golf courses, three marinas, and countless private villas are planned. The bridge that is to connect Saadiyat Island with the mainland will also be spectacular: upon completion, its 1.45 kilometer length, 60 meter width, ten lane highway, and two rail tracks will make it one of the largest bridges in the world – just as you would expect.
International art
Why does the art world keep trying to present itself in an increasingly sensational fashion? Perhaps the effects of globalization are being felt even here. Throughout the world, new museums and art centers are springing up and making headlines with their extraordinary architecture. Those who want to draw in the crowds have to offer art and culture buffs that certain je ne sais quoi – the art works alone are not enough to lure demanding visitors into a museum anymore. Whether or not the emirate really has the potential to become a new center of the arts remains to be seen. The spectacular museums, however, will certainly attract a large number of curious visitors and those interested in culture.
Architects
Frank O. Gehry was born in Toronto in 1929 and has lived in California since 1947. He is a leading representative of the deconstructionist school of architecture. One of his best known works is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. His architectural practice can be reached at www.foga.com.
Jean Nouvel founded the Ateliers Jean Nouvel in 1994. Employing a staff of 140, it is one of the largest architectural studios in France. Nouvel’s most recent projects include the Guggenheim Museums in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. Visit his Paris atelier at www.jeannouvel.com.
Tadao Ando grew up in postwar Japan. He was a professional boxer in his youth; he never formally studied architecture. This autodidact opened his first atelier in 1969 and today is considered one of the world’s leading architects, known especially for designing the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas. View photos of his creations at www.andotadao.org.
Zaha Hadid grew up in one of the first houses in Baghdad that was influenced by the Bauhaus style. She later designed the Guggenheim Museum in Taiwan and in 2005 received the Deutsche Architekturpreis (a German architecture award) for the headquarters of the BMW plant in Leipzig. Learn more about this fascinating designer and architect at www.zaha-hadid.com.
