Abu Dhabi: Tourism Development Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of major tourism, cultural and residential destinations in Abu Dhabi, announced Wednesday that the first segment of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s iconic dome has been assembled and placed in position on-site, representing a new major milestone and a new chapter in the construction of the museum.
The dome, which has a 180-metre diameter and includes 10,800 square steel tubes, will feature 85 segments which will be assembled on the museum’s construction site prior to being lifted into place atop of 120 temporary support towers by a specially-commissioned crane. A 600-tonne capacity crane will be used to construct the sections of the dome closest to the outside edge. However, once construction on the centre of the dome starts, a 1,600-tonne plus capacity crane will be used to allow the assembly of the pieces efficiently.
Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and TDIC, stated, “It is an exciting time for all of us – whereby around this time next year, the museum’s defining feature - the dome - will have been completed. This is a major milestone in the museum’s development and a significant step towards realising Abu Dhabi’s promise to develop iconic museums in the Saadiyat Cultural District, in line with the vision of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directives of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Construction of the museum is currently taking place on a temporary platform, which was built to allow all works to take place in a dry environment. Once completed, the 14-metre deep concrete walls currently built in the sand will be removed to allow seawater to flow in gradually. The museum, which will then be surrounded with water, will give visitors the illusion that it is gently floating in the sea.
Designed by Pritzker prize-winning architect, Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will encompass 9,200 square metres of art galleries. The 6,681-square-metre Permanent Gallery will house the museum’s permanent collection, taking the visitor through a universal journey from the most ancient to contemporary through art works from different civilisations. The Temporary Gallery will be a dedicated space of 2,364 square metres presenting temporary exhibitions of international standards.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, scheduled for completion in 2015, will be one of the premier cultural institutions located in the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District. These feature Zayed National Museum, which will open in 2016, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which will open in 2017 - both also designed by world-renowned Pritzker prize-winning architects.
