The long awaited Abu Dhabi franchise of the Louvre finally has an opening date.
November 11th 2017 will see the grand opening of the stunning new building, designed by award winning French architect Jean Nouvel.
A first for the Arabian peninsula region, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will bring world class art exhibitions to the UAE’s glitzy capital city. The focus will be mainly on the ‘human story’ with exhibitions about civilization and human development through the ages, including potteries, sculptures, paintings and video installations.
There are works of art on loan from the Paris Louvre, including Vincent Van Gogh’s self portrait and Leonardo da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronnière.
But it’s not just the art that is the star of the show. The building itself is designed to be a modern masterpiece, celebrating Abu Dhabi’s relationship with the water. Straddling the water, visitors will be able to enjoy the view as well as the art.
A huge dome, weighing the same as the Eiffel Tower (7500 tons) will encase the ‘museum city’ beneath it and create a ‘rain of light’ effect. The whole project is designed to dazzle and to provide another jewel in the crown to the UAE’s already pretty stellar line up of architectural treasures…
The intergovernmental agreement includes the loan of the Musée du Louvre’s name for 30 years and six months, temporary exhibitions for 15 years, and loans of artworks for ten years.
Tickets for the museum will cost 60 AED for general admission and 30 AED for ages between 13 and 22, as well as UAE education professionals.
Tickets are currently available to purchase online via the official Louvre Abu Dhabi site.
Although Abu Dhabi may not have made it onto our list of best cities to find original art, perhaps this is a step in the right direction? Let us know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to share!
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