The Cultural Cornerstone of a Nation

In December 1971, the modern nation of the United Arab Emirates was born. In fifty short years, this federation of seven small desert kingdoms has grown at an astonishing pace. Now home to ten million people, the UAE is one of the fastest-developing countries on Earth. The UAE’s founding President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, led his country through this remarkable transformation. The Zayed National Museum commemorates his achievements within the context of the longer history of the region and its people from ancient times to the present day.

The centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, the new museum will sit alongside the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in an astonishing cluster of world-class institutions that will together symbolise the UAE’s increasing role as a global destination for arts and culture.

A series of major galleries explore the landscape, heritage and culture of the nation and the governance, personality and faith of Sheikh Zayed. On completion, it will display some 3,000 objects. The museum aims to instil civic pride by celebrating the nation’s long history. From the first humans migrating out of Africa to the crossroads of human culture between east and west, this long view reinforces the nation’s reputation as one of the most important places in the world since time immemorial. It does all this while being sensitive to the historical nuances of the seven different emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates.

We were commissioned to develop the exhibition design and visitor experience for the museum, working in close partnership with the curatorial and interpretation teams at the British Museum and the architects Foster + Partners.

Our design is a direct response to the architecture, which combines soaring verticality, huge volumes and the contrast of deep shade with bright desert sunlight. The ground floor comprises a gallery of modern political and social history linked to a presidential library, with an upper floor that examines aspects of UAE life and culture in the more distant past. The museum’s five thematic galleries are suspended within the towers of the museum. Each is anchored by a central installation that introduces the narrative and anchors the space. A celestial dome in the Science and Technology gallery allows visitors to navigate with the Bedouin under the desert stars, while the sculptural lattices float overhead in People and Heritage, refracting the light to create spaces that recall the shaded corners of an ancient souk.

The Zayed National Museum is currently under construction.