A peek into Louvre Abu Dhabi before its official opening
Check out what we found as the grand museum opened its doors for a media preview
Abu Dhabi: The Louvre Abu Dhabi is due to open to the public this weekend, and everything in the long-awaited facility lies ready to greet visitors from across the world.
With the story of humanity told in 12 galleries, the universal museum will share inspiring idea about the interconnectedness between civilisations and cultures.
When it opens on November 11, the Louvre will have more than 600 pieces on display, including items from its permanent collection and others on loan from French and regional institutions.
For the first time since 2007, when the UAE and French governments signed an intergovernmental agreement to develop the museum, members of the press were allowed a look into the museum’s fully completed galleries. The galleries are housed across 55 white buildings developed as a ‘museum city’ in the sea by award-winning French architect, Jean Nouvel, and it is all topped by a 180-metre wide dome.
"Louvre Abu Dhabi is not just a museum; it will be a hub for education, broadcasting international tolerance and world culture. And future generations will be better because of places like the Louvre Abu Dhabi," Mohammad Al Mubarak, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and the Tourism Development and Investment Company, said while addressing the press.
"The UAE is proud of its rich heritage while also embracing progress and change. We are a dynamic, vibrant and multicultural society, where people live in harmony and tolerance. This diversity is reflected in Louvre Abu Dhabi's collection, which celebrate the innate human fascination with discovery. Each visitor will encounter extraordinary artworks and artefacts from global cultures that are both familiar and surprising. Louvre Abu Dhabi is the UAE's gift to the world, and we look forward to welcoming our first visitors," he said.
Walking into the facility, one cannot miss the ‘rain of light’ effect created by the iconic white dome. The nearly-50-tonne structure features a studied geometric design that allows sunlight to penetrate at specific angles through its eight layers, finally creating a cinematic effect within the interiors of the museum.
The architecture lends to an air of tranquility to the facility that is only heightened by the interaction of the building with the blue seawaters.
The Great Vestibule offers visitors their first look at the museum’s collection, before opening on to the gallery titled The First Villages.
The unique organisation of the pieces at the Louvre Abu Dhabi is instantly noticeable. Every gallery includes pieces from a number of different civilisations and cultures, making it easy to understand the influences of one upon the other.
The museum is set to open to the public on Saturday (November 11) morning, and this will kick off four days of festivities, including performances from French singer and rock guitarist Matthieu Chedid, known as –M–, Malian performer Fatoumata Diawara, Lebanese jazz and world musician Ibrahim Maalouf, and singer and dancer Totó La Momposina, whose performances are inspired by Colombian Caribbean traditions.
- The museum has been designed by Jean Nouvel, a French architect who has been awarded the Pritzker Prize, a top recognition in the field of architecture. Inspired by the medina (the old walled part of a town) and low-lying Arab settlements, Nouvel designed the Louvre Abu Dhabi as a ‘museum city’ in the sea with its contrasting series of 55 white buildings.
- The intergovernmental agreement includes the loan of the French Louvre Museum’s name for 30 years and six months, its temporary exhibitions for 15 years, and loans of artwork for a decade.
- The museum is topped by an iconic 180-metre white dome, which features a studied geometric design. The pattern allows sunlight to penetrate at specific angles through its eight layers, finally creating a cinematic effect within the interiors of the museum, referred to as the ‘rain of light’.
- Once they are eventually opened, a one-kilometre-long tunnel is expected to connect the Louvre Abu Dhabi to the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum.
- French president Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit the capital tomorrow (Wednesday 8) to officially open the Louvre Abu Dhabi along with other officials and dignitaries.
- The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s permanent collection currently includes 620 pieces, some of which will be on display once it opens. More than 300 other pieces on loan from other French and regional institutions will also be exhibited, including masterpieces like Leonardo Da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronniere and Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait.
- Doors will open to the public at 10 AM on November 11, and visitors will be able to witness the traditional Emirati Al Ayyala, a dance performed at events, weddings and other festive occasions, at the entrance to the museum.
- Four days of festivities will mark the opening of the long-awaited museum, including performances by French singer and rock guitarist Matthieu Chedid and Malian performer Fatoumata Diawara.
- Lebanese jazz and world musician Ibrahim Maalouf, and singer and dancer Totó La Momposina, whose performances are inspired by Colombian Caribbean traditions, will also perform after the Louvre Abu Dhabi opening.
- Tickets are prices at Dh60 for adults over the age of 22 years, and Dh30 for those aged 13-22 years and education professionals. Children aged 13 years and younger can enter free, and entry is also free of charge for members of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s loyalty programme, journalists, visitors with specials needs and their companions, members of the International Council of Museums, and members of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
- Art enthusiasts can now apply for a 12-month membership in the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Art Club programme. The membership costs Dh450 for one member and a guest, and Dh 1,500 for one member and five named guests.
- The Louvre Abu Dhabi also includes a Children’s Museum, where pieces are displayed at eye-level for young visitors.
- In the opening week, free guided tours will be offered to visitors. They can also register for workshops scheduled for the first few weeks, including the Geometric Patterns session, the Put on your Mask! session and My Museum Travel Journal workshops.
- The museum will be open to visitors every day between 10AM and 10PM, and every ticket will function as a one-day pass for the day of the visit.
- The construction of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is said to have cost about Dh2.4 billion.
- Louvre Abu Dhabi’s built area is approximately 87,000 square metres, with 9,200 square metres of galleries devoted to permanent display, and 2,000 square metres reserved for temporary exhibitions.
- The Louvre includes 12 galleries, including The First Villages, The First Great Powers, Civilisations and Empires, Universal Religions, Asian Trade Routes, From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, Cosmography, The World in Perspective, The Magnificence of the Court, A New Art of Living, A Modern World?, Challenging Modernity, and A Global Stage.
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