The first segment of the dome of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi has been assembled
The dome, which has a 180m diameter and includes 10,800 square steel tubes, will feature 85 segments, which will be assembled on the museum’s construction site prior to being lifted into place on top of 120 temporary support towers.
The latest development was announced by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), the master developer of major tourism, cultural and residential destinations in Abu Dhabi.
Designed by Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will encompass 9,200m2 of art galleries.
The 6,681m2 Permanent Gallery will house the museum’s permanent collection, taking visitors through a universal journey from the most ancient to contemporary through art works from different civilisations. The Temporary Gallery will be a dedicated space of 2,364m2 presenting temporary exhibitions of international standards.
HH Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and (TDIC), said: “It is an exciting time for all of us – where around this time next year, the museum’s defining feature – the dome – will be completed.”
The segments which will form the dome range between 30 to 70 tonnes and are each built from over 100 square steel tubes, five to seven metres in length that are joined together in a repetitive horizontal, vertical and diagonal pattern.
In 10 months’ time, once the dome is completed, the 120 temporary support towers will be disassembled and removed.
The construction of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s dome will continue in a counter-clockwise direction, closely following the completion of the museum’s buildings and the installation of their mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, along with interior finishes.
Over the past six months, Louvre Abu Dhabi, scheduled for completion in 2015, has achieved several milestones, including the pouring of over 70,000m3 of concrete across the museum’s build-up area and the ongoing installation of a double-layer waterproofing membrane below the foundation slab areas of the museum, an area of 64,000m2.
Construction work is currently taking place on a temporary platform, which was built to counteract the dry environment. Once completed, the 14-metre deep concrete walls currently built in the sand will be removed to allow seawater to flow in gradually. The museum, which will then be surrounded with water, will give visitors the illusion that it is floating in the sea.