How does one distil the identity and ambition of a country into a singular building? When it came to the United Arab Emirates’ new Zayed National Museum, architect Norman Foster took inspiration from the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the driving force behind the creation of the Gulf state.
“He had a vision for what the UAE could be and believed in its potential as a place for driving innovation that was rooted in the heritage of its people,” says Foster, who, through an international competition, was awarded the project in 2007. “Our approach was driven by an exploration of a building’s role as a national museum, to honour the relationship between the landscape, setting and cultural context, lensed through the values and character of the late Sheikh Zayed.”
Officially opened to the public on 3rd December, 2025, the building is located on Saadiyat Island, the UAE capital’s cultural nucleus, and counts as its neighbours the local outposts of the Louvre, unveiled in 2017, and the Guggenheim, now nearing completion. The Zayed National Museum spans almost 56,000 square metres, spread across three levels. Surrounding it are gardens featuring local flora, inspired by Sheikh Zayed’s efforts to re-green the nation, which have led to vertical farming and other agricultural innovations throughout the region.
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Ranging from some 82 to 122 metres high, the building’s lightweight steel fins not only pay homage to falconry (a practice embedded in Emirati culture) but also reinterpret the region's traditional wind towers, used to cool interiors. “Wind towers have been an integral part of historic architecture in the Middle East,” says Foster, about the sculptural turrets that have anointed all manner of buildings in the region for generations. “We revisited the concept at the museum, interpreting it in a modern way and applying present-day technology to the concept of channelling wind through buildings.”
“The design is a tailored environmental response to Abu Dhabi’s climate,” adds Gerard Evenden, the head of studio at Foster + Partners. “The fins’ profiles assist with natural ventilation and control the amount of daylight entering the building. Air vents open at the top, taking advantage of the negative pressure on the leeside of the profile to draw the hot air out from the atrium.” Air that has been naturally cooled through pipes that are buried in the ground then flows through a low-level ventilation system.
The dramatic central atrium, which will host meetings and performances, as well as the pod-shaped galleries and research labs, are all buried in a 30 metre tall mound. “This approach insulates the building from solar gain, forming a protective shield that prevents heat from entering the space,” explains Evenden. “It also features large overhangs to provide shade to the building’s perimeter and walkways.” The textured exterior is an abstraction of the topography of the Jebel Hafeet mountain range that skirts the UAE-Oman border.
Inside the museum, over 300,000 years of human history unfold across six permanent galleries with remarkable finds from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages shedding light on the life and ways of the UAE’s earliest communities. “We started working on the collection 12 years ago,” says Moaza Matar, the acting director of the museum’s Curatorial & Collection Management Department. “Whether it’s the Rudist bivalve, a fossilised clam dating back more than 70 million years, or a passport used during Expo 2020 in Dubai, each item represents a fragment of the country’s rich and fascinating story.”
On display for the museum’s opening phases are some 1,500 pieces that endeavour to challenge outdated perceptions and spotlight the region’s multifaceted cultural legacy. “Research and education are key to the museum’s mission and play an important role in ensuring the institution remains dynamic,” explains Dr Peter Magee, director of Zayed National Museum. One example is the world’s largest reconstruction of a Bronze Age Magan boat, which successfully set sail off the coast of Abu Dhabi in 2024. Other highlights include the 8,000-year-old Abu Dhabi Pearl; the striking Blue Qur’an from 800-900 CE; and a remarkable collection of jewellery that traces creativity, trade, and cultural exchange over the centuries.
Nurtured by the traditional falaj irrigation system, the Al Masar Garden, a 600-meter-long outdoor gallery, honours the ingenuity of generations who lived on and cared for the land.
“From the outset, we were deeply inspired by the local communities that tamed the harsh climate of the desert,” says Evenden. “Pushing the boundaries of design to create a museum that is driven by environmental principles and acts as an extension of its place has allowed us to realise – on a grand scale – many of the issues relating to architecture and sustainable design that have been driving our practice since the 1970s.”
Referencing the many iconic buildings his studio has designed for the UAE, Foster says: “It feels very special to be a part of the region’s urban landscape. The Zayed National Museum is truly unique… We’re looking back and looking forward, at the same time.” fosterandpartners.com
