Architectural Details: Ateliers Jean Nouvel’s Marvelous Metallic Dome

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Inspired by the domed roofs and geometric motifs of ancient Islamic architecture, but realized with contemporary materials and state-of-the-art engineering, the Louvre Abu Dhabi by Ateliers Jean Nouvel is a civilization museum that celebrates the past while looking toward the future.

It is, in the words of its architect, “a welcoming world serenely combining light and shadow, reflection and calm. It wishes to belong to a country, to its history, to its geography without becoming a flat translation.”

Modeled after a traditional Arab medina, the museum consists of 55 individual buildings, clad in ultra-high performance concrete, loosely arranged around stone-paved plazas and deep reflecting pools. Above, an intricate metal dome provides refuge from the desert sun, unifying the detached galleries and various ancillary buildings under its shade.

During the day, natural light filters down through the metal latticework of the dome like sunrays passing through palm leaves in an oasis, dappling the concrete and shimmering on the water. This effect, which Nouvel has dubbed the “rain of light,” is made possible by the dome’s multi-layered structure, designed in collaboration with BuroHappold Engineering.

The dome comprises nine layers in total — a steel space frame sandwiched between four layers of inner cladding and four layers of outer cladding. The steel frame itself is 5 meters deep and 180 meters in diameter. The fabrication of this immense structure was simplified by subdividing it into 85 smaller frames, in 11 unique shapes, weighing between 30 and 70 tons each. These “super-sized” puzzle pieces were then assembled on site by Waagner Biro, a contractor specializing in steel erection, using plates and bolts to join the webs together.

Through the initial construction phase, the frame was supported by 120 temporary steel towers. Once assembly was complete, however, the entire dome was lifted by hydraulic jacks onto just four permanent supports, 110 meters apart, which bear the full weight of the nearly-8,000-ton structure. These supports are concealed within the concrete-clad gallery buildings, creating the illusion that the dome is floating.

The perimeter of the structure is strengthened by a ring-shaped truss which prevents the dome from spreading and eliminates the need for external lateral braces. The triangulation of this truss also reinforces the overall theme of the project, the marriage of geometry and engineering.

The top and underside of the dome are clad in 7,850 star-shaped aluminum profiles, manufactured by Dubai-based metal fabricator EFP. The outer profiles are fitted with stainless steel inlays causing the surface of the dome to gleam in the sunshine. To prevent the aluminum from corroding due to contact with the steel, rubber gaskets were inserted between the two metals.

Utilizing parametric modeling software and luminance maps, the design team determined the optimal light conditions required for each area of the museum and varied the scale of the aluminum stars accordingly — allowing natural light to penetrate deeper into public spaces while protecting sensitive artworks from sun exposure. In fact, at any given time only 1.8% of the dome can be penetrated by direct sunlight.

Additionally, each successive layer of cladding was rotated to a different degree, complicating light’s path through the structure as it is diffracted by the metallic surfaces. The architects built 1:1 scale mockups of the dome on site to fine-tune this effect. The result is an atmosphere that is both calming and ever-changing, as Nouvel explains, “it conveys the consciousness of time, of eternity. The dome is a cosmic object, not unlike a sundial, tracing the path of the sun.”

The interior of the dome is equipped with 4,000 light fixtures, custom-made for the project by Zumtobel. Each fixture contains white florescent tubes in a weather-proof housing with built-in heat sinks to cope with the extreme desert climate. The brightness of each luminaire is controlled remotely by daylight sensors located within the art galleries. After dark, these artificial lights transform the museum into an “oasis of light under a starry dome.”

Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of “World’s Best Architecture Firm.” Start an A+Firm Award Application today.