The city of Abu Dhabi is excited to be the home to the first Louvre outside Paris.
With the recent grand opening on November 11th and plenty of exciting events surrounding the launch, here are five reasons you might want to schedule a visit!
1. It’s home to amazing architecture.
Walking under the main dome of the museum is a unique experience, and an art piece in its own capacity. Referred to as the ‘Rain of Light,’ the latticed roof creates an effect with a unique play of light across the epic open-air lobby, with constantly changing patterns. Overall, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has modern design with elements of water and light throughout, and the space is a beautiful setting to explore the many pieces of art in. The dome is 180 meters in diameter and provides protection from the hot Abu Dhabi sun. It is made up of 7,850 unique stars, eight layers of cladding, with the largest stars at 13 meters in diameter (and weighs 1.3 tonnes!). The highest point of the dome is 36 meters above ground floor level. The dome helps reduce solar gain and increases a reduction in energy and water use. If you have a particular interest in architecture, the museum offers 90-minute architecture driven tours.
2. There’s no other place like it in the world.
The designer, Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel, came to the original location on Saadiyat Island, which was undeveloped coastline and created a vision that incorporated sand, sun, and water. The collections are presented across 6,400 square meters of permanent gallery space with everything from ancient archeological finds, to paintings by modern masters and contemporary installations. There are 55 individual buildings, including 26 dedicated to permanent galleries. With 17 glass ceilings, natural light helps provide optimal lighting conditions for the artwork on display. There are strict environmental controls in place, such that the galleries stay at 21C, with no more than 5% humidity range.
3. It’s ten years in the making.
The partnership to open the Louvre Abu Dhabi started in 2007, when delegates and dignitaries from both the United Arab Emirates and France made the announcement. Since then, representatives from the Louvre and other notable French museums have worked with UAE partners within the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi to create this magnificent museum. From the installation of the first piece of the dome in January 2013 to its completion in March 2015, to the opening in 2017, both countries have much to be proud of. To conclude the efforts of the first ten years, the inaugural exhibition, From One Louvre to Another: Opening a Museum for Everyone, will open on December 21st, 2017. The exhibit will trace the history of the Musée du Louvre in Paris in the 18th century.
4. Where else can you see Van Gogh in the desert?
Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh, 1887, on loan from the Musée d’Orsay.
Among the 600 plus works of art, there is a variety of installations and artifacts. Visitors will travel through twelve ‘chapters’ to experience early art up to the modern world – with pieces from around the globe, it’s truly an amazing collection. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is home to priceless artworks have been loaned from the top thirteen French museums and institutions, including Musée du Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, the Bibliothèque Nationale and the Musée du Quai Branly. One of the most recent acquisitions is the loan of the La Belle Ferronniere by Leonardo da Vinci, from the Musée du Louvre, as well as van Gogh’s Self-Portrait. And don’t worry if you can’t get travel to Abu Dhabi right away as many of the loans are in place for ten years (with special exhibitions planned for the next fifteen years). The world-class museum will also display gems, created by some of the most famous master painters and sculptures in the history of art, including Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Osman Hamdi Bey, Jackson Pollock, Jaques-Louis David and Paul Gaugin.
5. There is something for the kids!
The Louvre Abu Dhabi includes something for its youngest guests as well. There is a Children’s Museum, which is specifically designed for 6-12-year-olds to familiarize young visitors with museum spaces and includes special exhibitions and artworks displayed in cases at children’s eye levels. The inaugural exhibition is titled, Travelling Shapes and Colors, which will remain on view until November 2018. There is a ‘My First Visit to the Louvre Abu Dhabi’ tour (for ages 6 and up), which focuses on families and lasts for an hour. The Louvre Abu Dhabi has also been working with the local community to educate and work with students of all backgrounds.
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