You certainly know the Louvre museum in Paris, but are you familiar with the one in Abu Dhabi? Although it garnered attention when it opened in November 2017, this museum has since maintained a lower media profile. However, it continues to attract numerous visitors daily. Indeed, with its blend of design and history, it has everything to please. Let’s focus on this new must-see destination in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
A Project for Tourists
This project was born from the desire of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s leaders to develop tourism in their territory, particularly through culture. To achieve this, they decided to partner with the Parisian Louvre museum. This is the first cultural collaboration of such magnitude between two countries with such an objective. The name “Louvre Abu Dhabi” was chosen to symbolize this union. Incidentally, this allowed the museum to enjoy worldwide fame from the outset. Despite this, this new museum is not intended to be a copy of the Louvre in Paris; quite the contrary. This distinct institution offers a completely different genre both at the architectural level and in terms of its art collections.
An Extraordinary Architecture
The Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by Jean Nouvel, a famous contemporary French architect. Construction began in 2014 on Saadiyat Island, located 500 meters off the coast of Abu Dhabi. These spaces were designed as a museum-city. Indeed, the architect, the Emirate’s leaders, and the Louvre’s managers agreed to create a traditional Arab district in a revisited way. The museum is completely protected from heat and sand thanks to a large, very poetic dome. Thanks to its lighting and design, this museum is unlike anything that existed before. The buildings seem to be placed on the water, which makes this place even more divine.
A Museum of Universal Works of Art
The purpose of the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum is to represent all civilizations throughout the eras, from prehistory to the present day. This gathering of diverse works allows visitors to discover similarities between civilizations that do not have much in common. Starting from scratch, the museum is gradually acquiring new works from all walks of life and of exceptional quality, and hopes to continue in this vein.
In the coming years, several new museums, including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum, are expected to open in this same territory. This aims to attract more and more tourists and make this emirate a center of international culture.
Article updated on 18 October 2024
