Dubai's Museum of the Future to open on 22/02/22: What you must know about the 'most beautiful building on earth'

Dubai's iconic Museum of the Future has an equally iconic opening date: 22/02/2022.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, posted some stunning images of the landmark, calling it the "most beautiful building on earth".

The Dubai Museum of the Future is an architectural marvel that sits majestically for all to see on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

Spanning an area of 30,000sqm, the seven-storey pillarless structure stands 77 metres high. The most striking part of the torus-shaped structure is the Arabic calligraphy inscribed over the stainless-steel façade.

Over 14,000 metres of wisdom are carved on to the structure. Quotes from Sheikh Mohammed about the future and legacy form the words designed by Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej.

Among the quotes is: "The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it.”

The museum is powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy produced by a station connected to the building.

The park surrounding the museum contains 80 species of plants that are taken care of state-of-the-art intelligent and automatic irrigation system.

The National Geographic had listed the museum as one of the 14 most beautiful museums in the world.

Here is all you need to know about the building and what you will find inside:

What is the Museum of the Future?

According to the Dubai Future Foundation, the museum combines elements of exhibition, immersive theatre and themed attraction, “inviting you to look beyond the present to the possible”.

What do the building’s design elements represent?

According to the museum’s website, its form is symbolic. “The circular building represents humanity; the green mound it sits atop represents the earth; the void represents the unknown future.”

What does the calligraphy on its façade say?

The ‘windows’ of the structure are a quotes written by Sheikh Mohammed about his vision for the city’s future, rendered in Arabic calligraphy.

Among the quotes are: “We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone.”

"The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it.”

“The future does not wait ... The future can be designed and built today."

What will you find inside?

The museum’s official website says each floor is like a “film set from a future that you can inhabit, explore and interact with”.

“The settings and scenes that we are crafting are immersive, but also expansive: they are designed to expand what the audience thinks possible - for the world, for the future and for themselves,” says the website.

The content has been “crafted by a team of the world’s leading product, media, exhibition and experience designers”.

Topics featured include “the future of space travel and living, climate change and ecology, health, wellness and spirituality”.

What are the kind of experiences that will be on offer?

According to the Dubai Future Foundation website, three floors of immersive exhibitions will focus on the possible futures of outer space resource development, ecosystems and bioengineering, and health, wellness, and spirituality.

“Another floor will showcase near-future technologies that will transform our world by addressing challenges in areas such as health, water, food, transportation and energy. The final floor will be dedicated for children, where they will explore and solve challenges in their own inimitable way to become our ‘future heroes’,” the foundation says.

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Who designed the structure?

According to Visit Dubai, the Museum of the Future’s design comes from architect Shaun Killa, “a long-time veteran of Dubai’s architecture sector”.

“The museum was his first commission after striking out on his own,” Visit Dubai says on its website.

What inspired the design?

According to the Killa Design website, the primary inspiration was to “create a form that represents the client’s vision of the future, where the physical building with its exhibition floors represents our understanding of the ‘future’ as we know it today and for the next 5 to 10 years”.

Where is the museum located?

The architectural masterpiece is located near Emirates Towers on the Sheikh Zayed Road.

sahim@khaleejtimes.com

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