The Louvre under construction in Abu Dhabi, March 4, 2014.
An image taken on March 4, 2014 of the building site that will become the Louvre in Abu Dhabi next year. Located just minutes from the business centre at Saadiyat Island the museum is designed by the Pritzker Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel. The design combines modern architecture and Arabic traditions. Two thirds of the museum is to be covered by a white dome, 180 metres in diameter. An arrangement of geometric openings inspired by interlaced palm leave traditionally used as roofing material will create a “rain of light” and make it possible to control the temperature inside. The design reflects a desire to create a universal museum in which all cultures are brought together. The museum is scheduled to open in 2015. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, is scheduled to be completed on an adjacent site on Saadiyat Island in 2017.