扎耶德国家博物馆丨阿联酋阿布扎比丨福斯特建筑事务所（Foster + Partners）

After nearly two decades in the making, the Zayed National Museum has officially opened its doors within the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi. Designed by Foster + Partners, this new national museum of the United Arab Emirates traces the history of the Emirates from the earliest evidence of human habitation through to the civilisations that shaped its culture and identity—all rooted in the values of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The building’s striking form addresses the fundamental challenge of sustaining life in a desert environment. Five lightweight steel wings rise from the museum’s mound-like base, their sculptural profiles serving as far more than dramatic architectural statements. These towers function as thermal chimneys, opening air vents at their peaks to draw hot air from the atrium below via negative pressure on the lee-side. Meanwhile, air naturally cooled through pipes buried deep beneath the desert floor flows into the space through a low-level ventilation system. The wings are also glazed to channel daylight into the galleries beneath, with each tower individually tuneable to moderate light levels.

Spanning 56,687 square metres of gross floor area across three storeys, the museum spaces are cleverly positioned within a mound structure featuring textured faceted panels—an abstraction of the UAE’s diverse topography. This design insulates interior spaces from solar gain, forming a protective barrier against the region’s intense heat. Upon entering, visitors arrive at Al Liwan, a light-filled atrium that serves as both a gathering and orientation space, capable of hosting performances including traditional dance and poetry.

Of the six permanent galleries, four pod-shaped volumes suspend above Al Liwan, each providing controlled environments to protect sensitive artefacts. The pods feature triple-laminated glazing with a dense mesh interlayer, while electrochromic glass rooflights adjust transparency in response to outside light conditions. Each gallery reflects a specific theme, with connecting nodal spaces providing contextual information. A sculptural spiral staircase and lifts offer passage between levels, while the ground level accommodates two additional permanent galleries, a temporary exhibition space, a fine dining restaurant, and a café.

Materials have been selected to resonate with the local environment, mirroring historic buildings across the seven Emirates. Both exterior and interior surfaces reflect the distinctive warm-white shade of sand found on Saadiyat Island.

Beyond the museum, Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature is honoured through the 600-metre Al Masar Garden, which links the building to the coast. The landscape integrates traditional water management systems, including ancient falaj irrigation channels—a gravity-fed method that has sustained agriculture in arid regions for thousands of years. The garden features more than 900 native plants and trees, while a shaded route leads visitors to a viewing platform at the mound’s summit, offering panoramic views across the surrounding district.

Delivered in close collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum stands as a thoughtful tribute to the UAE’s heritage while demonstrating how contemporary architecture can respond intelligently to its environment.

[Images courtesy of Foster + Partners.]