Saadiyat Island sits just off the centre of Abu Dhabi, and for years it was best known for its beaches. Its cultural district changed that.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in 2017 and set the tone. Its galleries tell a story of human creativity across civilisations rather than by nation, placing objects from different cultures side by side so that visitors see the conversations between them.
The galleries tell a story of human creativity across civilisations rather than by nation.
The district’s plans have long included neighbours by some of the world’s best-known architects: the Zayed National Museum, designed by Foster + Partners, and a Guggenheim designed by Frank Gehry. Immersive art has joined them too, alongside performance spaces and schools.
The best way to see it is slowly. Give the Louvre a full morning, take lunch by the water, and come back for the dome at the end of the day, when the light falling through it turns gold.