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In March 2007, the UAE and France entered into an unprecedented partnership.
These two countries, separated by thousands of miles, would unite in cultural exchange.
The jewel in the crown of this agreement would be the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
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Tate Britain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Rijksmuseum. Each of these world-renowned establishments has helped define culture and enlighten minds in the countries they inhabit.
The tale of the world’s newest cultural monument is tied to one of its oldest, though their evolutions bear little resemblance. To understand why Abu Dhabi would choose to embark on such a progressive and expensive partnership, you must first understand the legacy of France’s most famous museum.
The Louvre’s rich history spans 800 years. Once a fortress on the outskirts of the city, it’s now one of the world’s most popular museums, welcoming 7.4 million visitors in 2016.
The Louvre was originally built around 1190 by King Philippe Auguste as a fortress on the outskirts of Paris to protect the city from invaders.
As the city grew around it, the Louvre became a place where French kings would stay when travelling between their homes. King Charles V was the first to transform the building from fortress to palace, but it was François I who officially made it his main residence in 1528.
After the French Revolution, the Louvre was opened as a museum on August 10, 1793. Under the rule of Napoleon III, who took office in 1848, the Louvre became known as the “People’s Palace.” This era was one of major construction and restoration, and the so-called “New Louvre” became an emblem of Napoleon III’s reign.
In 1911, Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century masterpiece the “Mona Lisa” was stolen by an Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia. It was recovered two years later.
Completed in 1989, the Louvre Pyramid was designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. Made of glass and metal, it serves as the museum’s main entrance.
In 2016, the Louvre welcomed approximately 7.4 million visitors. With 38,000 exhibited artworks and a total gallery space of 782,910 square feet (as of 2014), it is widely recognized as the largest and most famous museum in the world.
On March 6, 2007, France and the UAE signed an intergovernmental deal. As part of a larger $1.3 billion agreement with France's cultural authority, Agence France-Museums, the name of the Louvre would be loaned to Abu Dhabi for a reported $520 million.
While the Louvre Abu Dhabi would be an entirely separate institution, France would loan artworks and provide management expertise for a number of years. The deal would also see wider cultural exchange and high-profile collaborations between the two countries, including the establishment of an Abu Dhabi outpost of the Paris-Sorbonne University, and the renovation of the historic theater at Château de Fontainebleau.
But the idea for the museum – and the cultural district it would inhabit – came before the Louvre name was attached. It was just one facet of the country’s wider strategy to diversify the economy and, according to a statement by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, to “inspire a new generation of cultural leaders and creative thinkers to contribute to our rapidly-changing and tolerant nation.”
$520m
$1.3b
30.5 yrs
15 yrs
A Frank Gehry-designed outpost of the Guggenheim and a national museum designed by Norman Foster, would join the future Louvre on Saadiyat Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi, along with universities and luxury hotels.
“See humanity in a new light.” The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s tagline conveys a message for the global community. Much like the Louvre museum in Paris, the Louvre Abu Dhabi displays art and artifacts from throughout human history, originating from all over the globe. Through this wide-reaching collection they seek to examine the story of humanity through creativity.
The difference here is the museum’s head curator, Jean-François Charnier, has chosen not to arrange pieces by place of origin. Instead, he’s organized them chronologically and thematically. Museum staff hope this will allow visitors from anywhere in the world to identify with the stories being told, and form new connections.
The museum features more than 600 artworks, half of which are on loan from other institutions. For the last decade, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has been amassing its own collection, which includes a 1922 Piet Mondrian painting (the museum’s first acquisition) and a Bactrian princess from Central Asia (the museum’s oldest.) Contemporary artists Jenny Holzer and Giuseppe Penone were commissioned to create site-specific works, which have been incorporated into the building itself.
Below are six pieces from the museum's opening presentation we have chosen to highlight.
One of the museum's oldest artworks comes from the historical region of Bactria in Central Asia, which was known for producing these small statuettes. The figures are thought to be depictions of goddesses.
This bronze statue from southern India was previously in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia. Here, the Hindu god is represented in the guise of Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance “who celebrates the destruction of the universe and the victories of the god over the demons,” according to the catalog for the museum’s 2013 “Birth of a Museum” exhibition.
This is the first time this painting, on loan from the Louvre in Paris, has left Europe. It is one of only 15 known paintings by the artist.
This bronze statue was commissioned by a French king in the 16th century. It’s on loan from Château de Fontainebleau – a France palace that is home to countless artworks – which Abu Dhabi has helped renovate.
The deserts of Abu Dhabi, where the air is often hazy with sand and dust, are not the ideal setting for housing priceless works of art. Add to this the fact that the museum would be surrounded by water, and you can understand why transporting and installing the masterpieces could be challenging.
In this clip, we see the “Apollo Belvedere” arrive at the Louvre Abu Dhabi after travelling some 3,100 miles from its home at the Château de Fontainebleau in France.
Joining the roster of architectural heavyweights on Saadiyat Island to design the Louvre Abu Dhabi would be Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel.
Before he was commissioned, the Frenchman was already known for his work with cultural institutions such as the Arab World Institute and Fondation Cartier in Paris, and the Culture and Congress Centre in Lucerne. Each of his buildings seek to embody their surroundings while fulfilling their intended purposes.
“He never does the same thing twice. You never see two buildings of (Nouvel’s that) look like each other,” explained Hala Wardé, a partner at Ateliers Jean Nouvel. “Working with situations – this is what he teaches – is to make every project specific to where it is in terms of all the context, including the cultural (context), the history and the place itself.”
If there is a visual thread that unites Nouvel’s buildings, it’s the use of geometry and light. These elements would dominate his designs for the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Like many of his designs, Jean Nouvel’s plan for the Louvre Abu Dhabi began as a simple sketch, drawn over lunch with Thomas Krens, the former director of the Guggenheim Foundation, who was involved in the initial planning stages for Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island.
The key facets were already there in those early moments: the concept of a neighborhood, a dome and a microclimate.
Meeting the building’s diverse needs would be a balancing act. It had to be visually stunning, enough to rival the skyscrapers on the horizon. It had to be fit for a challenging purpose, housing priceless artworks in the inhospitable desert. And it had to be culturally relevant, reflecting the lofty ideals of both the institution and the country.
Nouvel first visited the site on Saadiyat Island in 2005, encountering only sand, the sea and the sky. These natural elements, combined with Arab culture and Abu Dhabi itself, would inspire the architect’s design.
He imagined a museum that would be more like a city. It would sit on its own island, topped by a huge dome - the structure’s defining feature. If the museum’s white, rectangular buildings represented a Middle Eastern madina, the dome would be its protection. Like palm fronds in an oasis, it would create a respite from the desert heat.
Rendered in steel, the dome’s complex geometric structure was inspired by patterns found in traditional Arab architecture. Sunlight passes through eight structural layers, appearing and disappearing throughout the day.
The patterns of light that dapple the museum’s floors and walls are the result of multiple tests and models, including the construction of a temporary building nearby that simulated the dome’s effect.
Nouvel harnessed the elements – namely water and light – to create a microclimate within the museum. The buildings’ light colors, for example, reflect light, keeping the interiors cool, while the dome’s many layers lessen the intensity of the sun’s heat.
The construction process, which took place over eight years, faced various delays and presented serious engineering challenges. “You have difficult marine works. You have difficult finishes. You have difficult electro-mechanical works. You have a gigantic steel structure and difficult concrete,” explained Shehab Taha, senior construction manager of Turner International.
One of the first major milestones, reached in 2010, was the laying of foundations, which saw 4500 piles driven into partly-reclaimed land. Another milestone was the flooding of the site in May, 2016 over the span of eight weeks in four carefully monitored stages – an ambitious feat of engineering.
Those who visited the site during its construction were often astounded by the scale of the job. Nick Leech, a journalist for The National (an UAE news service) who has been reporting on the museum’s construction since December 2012, commented: “Not only did you have 4,000 men working on the site all at the same time, but you also had them working at three different levels. You had guys who were working in the basement. You had guys who were working at ground level. You also then had guys who were effectively working in the air, who were building the early stages of the dome. It felt actually more like a hive, or an anthill.”
This is the total built up area of the museum island. The galleries make up 6,400 square meters of this.
These include 23 galleries, which make up what the Louvre Abu Dhabi refers to as the “museum city.”
The dome is formed of four outer layers clad in stainless steel, and four inner layers clad in aluminium, separated by a steel frame five meters high.
The dome’s eight layers of cladding are made up of complex star-shaped elements.
These elements filter sunlight, creating what the museum describes as a "rain of light" effect throughout the museum.
The dome, which has a circumference of 565 meters, took two years to complete.
Held up by four permanent piers, the dome weighs nearly as much as the Eiffel Tower.
Jean Nouvel and his practice accept the commission to design the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
March 6 – The intergovernmental agreement between the UAE and France is signed. The museum is slated to open in 2012.
February – The Louvre Abu Dhabi acquires its first piece, “Composition with Blue, Red, Yellow and Black” (1922) by Piet Mondrian, from the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection for $27.9 million.
Foundation work is completed on both the Louvre and the Guggenheim on Saadiyat Island.
October – Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) announces the museum's opening will be delayed.
The museum's opening is rescheduled for 2015.
Construction begins on the main phase of the museum.
May 2 – “Birth of a Museum,” the first major exhibition of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection, goes on display at the Louvre in Paris.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s opening date is moved to 2016.
September – Manuel Rabaté is appointed director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi; Hissa Al Dhaheri is appointed deputy director.
November 11 – The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens to the public.
Jean Nouvel and his practice accept the commission to design the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
March 6: The intergovernmental agreement between the UAE and France is signed. The museum is slated to open in 2012.
February: The Louvre Abu Dhabi acquires its first piece, “Composition with Blue, Red, Yellow and Black” (1922) by Piet Mondrian, from the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection for $27.9 million.
Foundation work is completed on both the Louvre and the Guggenheim on Saadiyat Island.
Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) announces the museum's opening will be delayed.
The museum's opening is rescheduled for 2015.
Construction begins on the main phase of the museum.
May 2: “Birth of a Museum,” the first major exhibition of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection, goes on display at the Louvre in Paris.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s opening date is moved to 2016.
September: Manuel Rabaté is appointed director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi; Hissa Al Dhaheri is appointed deputy director.
November: The Louvre Abu Dhabi opens to the public.
Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.
After a decade of work the Louvre Abu Dhabi has opened, becoming a symbol of the UAE's cultural ambitions.
Jean Nouvel has built his career by exploring the intersection of local culture and Western modernism.
In a quest for universality, the new Louvre Abu Dhabi has assembled artworks and artifacts from around the world.
The restoration of Chateau de Fontainebleau’s iconic theater is emblematic of the cooperation between France and the UAE.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is attracting worldwide attention, but the impact it will have on future generations within the UAE should not be overlooked.
Becky Anderson takes viewers inside the new Louvre Abu Dhabi, which has finally opened its doors.
