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Zayed National Museum
Zayed National Museum
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Jury Winner, 2026 A+Awards, Cultural - Museum
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Other Projects by Foster + Partners
Zayed National Museum
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Jury Winner, 2026 A+Awards, Cultural - Museum
Firm
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2025
SIZE
500,000 sqft - 1,000,000 sqft
BUDGET
Undisclosed
Located at the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, the new national museum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) traces the history of the Emirates, from the earliest evidence of human habitation to the civilisations that shaped its culture and identity, rooted in the values of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The building’s form addresses the challenge of sustaining life in a desert environment and the strong cultural traditions of the UAE. The museum’s five lightweight steel wings are part of the system of natural ventilation. Air vents open at the top of the towers, taking advantage of the negative pressure on the lee-side of the profile to draw hot air out from the atrium, assisted by the thermal effect of the heat build-up on the tips of the wings. Air that has been naturally cooled through pipes buried deep below the desert floor then flows into the atrium through a low-level ventilation system. The wings are glazed to channel natural light into the galleries below, and each one is individually tuneable. The museum spaces are located within a mound, which has textured faceted panels that are an abstraction of the UAE’s topography. The mound insulates the interior spaces from solar gain, forming a protective shield that prevents heat from entering the building. When visitors step inside the museum, they enter the light-filled atrium, or Al Liwan, which serves as both a meeting and orientation space, hosting performances such as traditional dance and poetry.
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