Abu Dhabi: One of the world’s most concentrated collections of cultural institutions is rapidly taking shape on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
Currently home to iconic sites like the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, and Berklee Abu Dhabi, the Saadiyat Cultural District will soon feature new landmarks: the Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Set for completion next year, Gulf News offers exclusive insights into this global art destination’s new assets starting with teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.
Described by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) as an “embodiment of empowerment”, the cultural district celebrates the region’s heritage while promoting a rich cultural landscape.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, recently visited the cultural district, which is more than 83 per cent complete, and was briefed on its progress by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the DCT — Abu Dhabi.
Highlighting the district’s essence, Al Mubarak told Gulf News that this unique destination embodies a vision to foster global understanding through culture.
“Saadiyat Cultural District is designed to be an inspiring place of encounters and exchange, utilising the transformative power of culture to promote mutual understanding and appreciation,” Al Mubarak said. “Each institution within the district uniquely contributes to its overall vision and ambition of becoming a global centre of knowledge, innovation, and culturally diverse creativity.”
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi
DCT — Abu Dhabi has partnered with Miral — a leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, to conceptualise and develop teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.
Collaborating with Tokyo-based art collective teamLab, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi offers an immersive experience that celebrates the natural world through a creative and philosophical lens. This innovative, 17,000-sqm digital experience sits at the intersection of art, science, mathematics, and technology.
Nearing completion at more than 93 per cent, it invites visitors to journey through immersive galleries where boundaries between interior, exterior, and spatial awareness blur.
The structure itself, with its cloudlike architecture and expansive interiors, is designed to harmonise with the artworks it houses.
“At teamLab, we make things that are difficult to explain in words,” noted Takashi Kudo, a founding member of teamLab. “The architecture has been designed both from the inside out and the outside in, creating a structure that wraps around the experience as opposed to forcibly compressing it inside.”
Its 17 galleries are designed to inspire curiosity, awaken the senses, and ignite imagination, with artworks that respond to their environment, transforming with each visit.
“In this way, we hope that every journey becomes personalised for each visit and visitor,” Kudo said.
Al Mubarak pointed out that the institutions of the cultural district “collectively tell a compelling story of Abu Dhabi, its connections with the region, and its historical exchange with the world. The museums’ overall narrative will create an unparalleled global public sphere — a place where people can come together, openly exchange opinions, and build a common understanding.”
