louvre abu dhabi releases new images as opening date announced

after more than a decade of planning, the louvre abu dhabi has announced that it will finally open to the public on november 11, 2017. designed by french architect jean nouvel, the much-anticipated project has been conceived as a ‘museum city’, comprising 55 individual buildings, including 23 galleries. referencing traditional emirati architecture, the design appears as a series of simple white structures that mimic the low-lying settlements common to the region.

a guide to the new louvre abu dhabi

coinciding with the announcement, the louvre abu dhabi has released new images of the jean nouvel-designed museum building. the centerpiece of the ambitious scheme is a huge dome — 180 meters in diameter — that appears to float above the entire museum. this complex geometric structure comprises 7,850 ‘stars’, repeated at various sizes and angles in eight different layers. as the hot sun passes above, light filters through the perforations to create an effect referred to as the ‘rain of light’.

all images by mohamed somji © louvre abu dhabi

the dome is supported by four permanent, yet invisible, piers, each 110 meters apart. the interior elevation is 29 meters from the ground floor to the underside of the cladding, while the highest point of the dome is 40 metres above sea level and 36 metres above ground floor level. at night, the canopy forms thousands of stars, which remain visible from both inside and out. visitors, who can arrive either by land or sea, are able to explore the museum through navigating its narrow streets and detached buildings.

looking out towards the sea from inside the museum

the dome also serves a number of environmental purposes. importantly, it serves as a shading canopy that protects the outdoor plaza and the buildings below from the heat of the sun. in turn, this ensures a comfortable experience for visitors, allowing them to wander between the galleries, exhibitions, children’s museum, auditorium, and restaurant. the shade also reduces the energy consumption of each of the covered buildings. artists giuseppe penone and jenny holzer will create site-specific artworks for the museum ahead of its opening.

the interior plaza beneath jean nouvel’s distinctive canopy

the museum complex is located on saadiyat island, a district that also hopes to host a frank gehry-designed guggenheim museum and the zayed national museum, designed by foster + partners. the louvre abu dhabi will open to the public on november 11, 2017. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

the ‘rain of light’ casts an array of patterns throughout the museum