TOUTED as the “most beautiful building in the world,” the Museum of the Future received a gala opening here, heralding the arrival of another much-awaited landmark in the UAE that has been nine years in the making. A sprawling seven-storeyed circular building standing at 77 meters, spread across 30,000 square meters, this imposing structure is situated just a stone’s throw away from the world’s tallest construction, the Burj Khalifa, another iconic structure that has been an intrinsic part of Dubai’s skyline. The Museum of the Future is the latest addition to Dubai’s bold architectural endeavours with futuristic designs. The Museum is a permanent exhibition of inspiring visions for the future of humanity and a global centre for inspiration, innovation and the development of solutions to challenges and opportunities in human development, according to a press release.

 

“The Museum of the Future is a ‘living museum’, constantly adapting and metamorphosing as its very environment drives continual and iterative change to its exhibits and attractions,” said Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation said during a glitzy opening ceremony on Tuesday. Designed by architect Shaun Killa of Killa Design, the building was conceived as an architectural and cultural icon, and is a remarkable feat of computer-aided design and engineering. Made of stainless steel, consisting of 1,024 pieces of art manufactured using robots uniquely able to create the demanding shapes, the façade alone was constructed over a period of 18 months, and comprises a complex assembly of four-layer composite material panels each requiring over 16 process steps, it said.

 

It is illuminated by 14,000 meters of light lines, tracing Arabic calligraphy representing three quotes on the future by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The 1,024 panels were selected to represent a kilobyte, or 1,024 characters, the press release stated. The museum is fed with 4,000 megawatt-hours per year of solar power generated by a dedicated solar park and meets the highest global standards of sustainability. The Museum contains a series of experiential displays for the general public to visit and be inspired by different aspects of future thinking. At the core of the museum is its multi-use hall, which can accommodate more than 1,000 people, and a special hall for interactive lectures and workshops that can accommodate more than 345 people, it added.