The Museum of the Future, Dubai. Photo: Twitter.com/HHShkMohd
The Museum of the Future, an architectural marvel that sits at the heart of Dubai, is the city’s new landmark. Looming 77 meters high over the city’s driverless metro system on the edge of the financial district, the construction of the seven-story pillarless structure reached its end last year and will welcome visitors from February 22, 2022.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, vice-chairman of the board of trustees and managing director of the Dubai Future Foundation, said the selection of the Dubai Museum of the Future as a major world icon captures the UAE’s leading status in innovation, design and architecture. “Dubai has established itself as a center for creativity, thanks to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The emirate’s ambitions are reflected in an engineering miracle like the Dubai Museum of the Future,” he said.
Read on for five facts you must know about the edifice designed by Design Partner of Killa Design, Shaun Killa.
The museum made a name even before opening its doors to the public
There is no other building in the world constructed with such superior technologies, thereby distinguishing it from other landmarks and breaking records before its completion. Not only has the structure been ranked among the 14 most beautiful museums on the planet in a list compiled by National Geographic, but has also won the Tikla International Building Award as a unique architectural model. Autodesk Design Software further stated that the Museum of the Future is one of the most innovative buildings in the world.
The museum incorporates cutting-edge engineering and incredibly complex design
The building’s unconventional torus shape and sophisticated, futuristic technology has made this one of the most complex construction projects ever attempted. Its stainless-steel façade, extending over 17,000 square meters, consists of 1,024 plates manufactured entirely by robots. Each plate of the facade consists of four layers, and each layer has been created after following 16 process steps. In addition, to create the desired form and unique cladding and solve specific design challenges, new parametric modeling tools and building algorithms were developed.
Photo: Instagram.com/museumofthefuture
The museum is illuminated by Arabic calligraphy
The urban icon is engulfed in 14 kilometers of Arabic calligraphy designed by Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej and spelling out some of Sheikh Mohammed’s most iconic quotes, among which are: “We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone,” and “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it… The future does not wait… The future can be designed and built today.” The cursive scripts double as the windows of the museum. By day, they cast light throughout the column-free interior and at night, they will be illuminated to dramatic effect LED lighting.
The museum builds on past exhibitions held in Dubai
The Museum of the Future builds on over five years of immersive exhibitions created for the World Government Summit, a global platform dedicated to the future of public service, held each year in Dubai. These exhibitions focused on the role of future technology and artificial intelligence in diverse sectors such as government services, healthcare, climate change and food security.
The museum emphasizes sustainability and a greener future
Powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy in collaboration with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, the museum will be the first of its kind in the Middle East to obtain a Platinum Certification for Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design, the highest rating for green buildings in the world. The park surrounding the museum contains 80 species of plants, equipped with automatic irrigation and greywater recycling systems. Visitors will be able to charge their electric vehicles while touring the museum and car parking spaces are limited to encourage the use of public transport, as a 212-meter-long bridge links the profile to Emirates Towers metro station.
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