Louvre Abu Dhabi

Beneath a huge dome of layer upon layer of star patterns lies a museum city of white cubes by the water. The sun is filtered through the dome like light through palm leaves, a rain of light. The museum is a collaboration between the United Arab Emirates and France.

In 2007 the United Arab Emirates and France signed an agreement on a museum in Abu Dhabi that would be allowed to use the Louvre name and borrow works from French museums. Jean Nouvel designed the building, and the museum opened in November 2017. It stands on Saadiyat Island, where several museums and cultural institutions have been planned.

The museum consists of about fifty white buildings forming a small town with streets and squares, inspired by Arab cities. Above them rests a dome about 180 metres in diameter. It consists of eight layers of steel and aluminium in geometric patterns, which filter the sunlight into a moving rain of light. The dome rests on just four hidden supports, so that it seems to float. The sea flows in between the buildings.

The museum shows art from all over the world and arranges it by period rather than by culture. It has been criticised for the working conditions during construction and for the agreement on the Louvre name. The building has become a landmark and shows Nouvel’s interest in light and shadow. Nouvel received the Pritzker Prize in 2008.

• Contemporary architecture
• Jean Nouvel