Timeless Emirati

Abu Dhabi's new museum celebrates the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, the founding president of the UAE, through architecture, art, and immersive storytelling.

- Smitha Sadanandan

On Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island, a dramatic new landmark open doors this December: the Zayed National Museum. Designed by the celebrated architecture firm Foster + Partners, the museum is conceived as both a monument and a memorial to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the United Arab Emirates. With its soaring steel towers inspired by the wings of a falcon in flight, the structure promises to be as much a feat of architecture and sustainability as it is a cultural repository.

Lord Norman Foster, the Pritzker Prizewinning architect at the helm of the project, drew inspiration from falconry, desert landscapes, and the region's topography to create a contemporary design that embodies heritage while pushing the boundaries of innovation. Rising out of a landscaped mound, the museum's faceted panels echo the geology of the UAE, while five sculpted steel towers double as solar thermal chimneys—an ingenious reference to traditional cooling systems reimagined for a modern era.

“The architecture represents far more than just a home for the museum's collection—it embodies a physical expression of Sheikh Zayed's vision and his profound connection to the land, culture, and people of the Emirates,” says Dr. Peter Magee, director of Zayed National Museum.