Museum of Energy & Infrastructure, Sharjah, UAE

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

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Museum of Energy & Infrastructure, Sharjah, UAE

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Firm

Shape Architecture Practice + Research

Type

Cultural › Gallery Museum

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2021

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

As a young and quickly growing nation, the UAE puts great value on the role museums play in documenting its history and informing its citizens. Raising awareness is especially important regarding the country’s fundamental advancements, such as the building of landmark infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi’s Museum of Energy and Infrastructure serves as an educational space within the administrative building of the UAE’s eponymous Ministry. As a place where all MoEI visitors can explore the nation’s past and future infrastructure developments, the museum has been designed to provide the public with an inspiring learning experience.

In order to facilitate the highest level of immersion for museum visitors, every space, from entry to individual exhibit, was made to emulate a theater setting. A minimalist approach accommodated this goal best, using streamlined materials and a dark interior color scheme. The palette contains hues of black, white, and copper, drawing from the natural tones found amid the region’s desert roadways. Dark backdrops and strategic lighting highlight displayed contents and cause the surrounding setting to recede.

Variation of experience and texture is introduced via a juxtaposition of exhibit medias, including printed information boards, physical models, and interactive digital presentations. These materials maintain a cohesive connection with the museum’s character by using the same palette and aesthetic. The result is a holistic space that achieves a seamless blend between architectural and educational features.

At the forefront of the museum, entrants are greeted with the welcoming presence of H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the nation, conveying his message through a hologram. This introduction sets the tone for the modern experience that awaits in the museum, built upon both the UAE’s heritage and its vision for the future.

The first exhibit informs visitors of the beginning of infrastructure development since the nation’s establishment. Supporting visuals include a timeline display, historical artifacts, and an interactive archive in which visitors can browse historic materials.

Interactive kiosks punctuate the visitor’s path onward, communicating details about the development of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. An audio-visual wall breaks down the classifications of development: housing, education, health, community, and sustainability.

These classifications are explored in depth in the museum’s second zone. Interactive screens offer in-depth presentations of landmark projects in each domain, accompanied by 3D printed models. Finally, visitors reach a geographical model of the entire nation. A supplemental 14m-long display screen empowers users to navigate the model from an aerial perspective, providing highlights of key infrastructure endeavors. Ahead, an information wall explores the federal impact of these projects.

The culmination of the visitor’s experience comes with entry into a circular viewing room with a 180° floor-to-ceiling screen. Here, the user receives full immersion in their interaction with a future world, traversable via the central touch screen. This final exhibit gives viewers a glimpse of what’s to come for UAE infrastructure, the result of the many ambitious projects featured throughout the visitor journey.