Saadiyat Island
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What's On Just featured this article about what to expect when the museum opens but no further news on when we might expect any sort of progress...

The main gallery will be devoted to a collection of artifacts illuminating aspects of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan — the man, and his leadership journey the country’s unification, and beyond. Exhibits will include photographs, documents and items from the late ruler’s own private collection.

What better way to commemorate a man possessed of such wisdom and wide-learning than with a grand library? This particular educational attraction will offer a platform for visitors to deep-dive into historical resources. You’ll find creaking tomes, alongside cutting edge interactive media

Source: https://whatson.ae/2021/01/what-we-know-about-the-zayed-national-museum-coming-to-abu-dhabi/

Soho Square mixed-use urban development







https://www.instagram.com/p/CJC47PkgOIZ/

I have been trying to find updates for a while now but this is the only sign of life I have seen since the most updated Google maps images which are late 2019.

Work is ongoing by the looks of it but it doesn't look anything like ready and from the silence I would assume that it's been badly delayed again.

What's the construction status of Zayed National Museum? It looked like fully underway in 2019. Did it come to a halt?

An early model for the Guggenheim Museum on Saadiyat Island. There is a full video of Frank Gehry speaking about the design of the museum. It's really fascinating, it can't embed but you can watch it on the link below.



The Video of Frank Gehry speaking about the design can be seen here... https://www.nytimes.com/video/players/offsite/index.html?videoId=100000003268745

These prominent steel structures alone may appear complex, but the points of intersection between the various systems lie beneath the artificial mound that conceals the concrete podium’s existence. Several galleries alongside five hanging 2,000 m² gallery pods encircle the main lobby area in celebration of Sheikh Zayed and the UAE.

Aesthetically, the aim was to combine contemporary architecture with the curves and swirls of traditional Arabic design. We enlisted our complex geometry team to aid the design of the free-form wings in particular, manipulating the form using a range of parameters to produce an optimised structure, which maximised its aerodynamic stability and pinpointed areas of weakness. Fabricated steel sections were placed vertically to shape the frames, connected to the circular hollow sections which formed the curved arches.

In a practical sense, all elements of the building were centred on the need to efficiently provide daylight and cooling in a harsh, arid environment. The wings each serve a separate gallery pod below, but there is no direct connection, allowing a free zone around the circumference through which light can pass. The arches and columns of the podium are carefully moulded to direct the sunlight, providing areas of shade and illumination.

An innovative air conditioning system also makes use of the ground temperature, drawing fresh air through ground-cooling pipes and then releasing them into the museum’s lobby. As the steel heats up in the sun, the wings begin to act as thermal chimneys and a passive stack effect draws the air currents up through the building.

Source: https://www.akt-uk.com/projects/zayed-national-museum/

So whilst nothing much seems to be happening with the construction of the leisure elements of Saadiyat Island for the time being there's lots of new developements going up with housing. Not a huge surprise as it happens a lot but hopefully this interest in the luxury housing market will boost the area and progress the building of the other areas.













Source: https://dxboffplan.com/properties/saadiyat-reserve-plots/

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Qv6xXg-dy/

Zayed National Museum is due to open in 2021:

The Zayed National Museum, which has been designed by those clever UK architects, Foster and Partners, is on track to open to the public in 2021.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhab said that construction of the museum is making significant progress.

Source:
http://www.adwonline.ae/uae-national-museum/