Additional reporting by Paul Keskeys, June 22, 2016
The widespread flooding of a building is usually the stuff of architects’ nightmares, but in the hazy heat of the desert in the United Arab Emirates, the intentional infiltration of water beneath the dome of the new Louvre Abu Dhabi constituted a triumphant moment for Jean Nouvel.
The French architect sent a wave of intrigue throughout the worlds of both art and architecture with the release of beautiful renderings of this key cultural landmark three years ago. Now, the journey from concept to built reality is nearly complete, and an amazing time-lapse video was released this week showing a shimmering lagoon emerging between the buildings on the edge of the Persian Gulf.
The powers that be in Abu Dhabi have long since realized that their extraordinary oil-fueled expansion will eventually require a solid economic backup from a source other than the black gold beneath their sands. As in Dubai, it appears they are determined to plug any potential holes in their long-term financial plan with the banknotes of tourists and foreign corporations … and cultural assets form the next phase of their strategy.
To this end, a trio of museums has been slated for the city’s cultural district, each with a highly recognizable architectural orchestrator: Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum and Frank Gehry’s new Guggenheim are both on their way, despite misgivings in the art community over the welfare of foreign laborers constructing the latter museum. First, though, we look to Jean Nouvel’s new Louvre Museum, the first branch of the famous French institution outside of Paris.
Rendering © Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Construction photograph courtesy of the Tourism Development & Investment Company, UAE
Nouvel’s museum, like Gehry’s, has not been without its controversies. 4,650 museum experts, archaeologists and art historians signed a petition in 2011 protesting what they viewed to be a cynical monetization of art and culture: The oil-rich emirate will pay a cool $520 million for the Louvre name and a further $747 million in art loans and expertise. Arts writer Didier Rykner stated that “[the] purpose of a gallery should not be to make money,” while the New York Times speculates that the agreement signals “a new willingness to exploit … culture for political and economic ends.”
Model photograph via Big Project Middle East
Construction photograph courtesy of the Tourism Development & Investment Company, UAE
Jean Nouvel — staunch defender of Gehry’s new Parisian gallery — would no doubt argue that any beautiful vessel for exhibiting art and culture should be celebrated, no matter where it may be docked, and his design for the Louvre’s Middle Eastern annex makes it incredibly difficult to argue against this view. The concept, evoking the atmosphere of a shady oasis within the desert landscape, looks set to provide an extraordinary and unique environment in which to view art.
Nouvel and Sheikh under the model; image via ArtAsiaPacific
The primary architectural gesture — an expansive, perforated dome, hovering above the manmade archipelago — draws on traditional methods of passive cooling, echoing the woven palm-frond roofs that are typical of the region. The 180-meter-wide (590-feet-wide) latticed structure allows natural light to permeate the heart of the complex, with waterways weaving between podiums and platforms; this promises to provide a magical series of spaces, with the line between internal galleries and external street-like conditions wonderfully blurred.
Interior renderings via The Superslice
Nouvel has thankfully avoided the recent tendency of many “Starchitects” to grandstand, producing amorphous, geometric monoliths in a bid to create instant landmarks. Instead, Nouvel works wonders with layers, textures, light and shade in a way that suits contemporary Middle Eastern architectural design to a T.
Overview rendering© Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Should the Louvre have sold its name, or loaned its priceless artworks to a fledgling museum in a potentially hostile desert environment? That is a question that will continue to divide people across the art world for years to come. The ethical debate may rage on, but from a purely architectural viewpoint, Nouvel may just have conceived one of the greatest masterpieces of the 21st century.
Yours atmospherically,
The Angry Architect