01 October 2015

Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first museum to be built at the Saadiyat Cultural District in the UAE capital, witnessed a key construction milestone when the final piece of outer cladding for the museum’s iconic dome was put in place.

The installation of the outer cladding comes after more than 30 million man hours on site.

This piece is part of the dome’s pattern, which is made up of eight layers of cladding – four outer and four inner –with the dome’s structure in between. These layers consist of 7,850 star-shaped pieces of aluminium and stainless steel, of various sizes and angles – the largest of which measures 13 m in diameter and weighs 1.3 tonnes.

The outer cladding consists of 4,481 stars which is now 100 per cent complete and installed. Major work is expected to start in the next few months including laying the stone flooring of the museum, installation of the display cases for the galleries, and the completion of the museum’s administration building.

This milestone was witnessed by Ali Majed Al Mansoori chairman of the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), a master developer of major tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi, and the museum’s architect Jean Nouvel as well as TDIC’s chief executive officer Sufian Hasan Al Marzooqi.

“We are very proud of the progress that has been achieved on the site of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and it is remarkable to see Jean Nouvel’s design come to life,” said Al Mansoori. “Almost a year-and-a-half ago the construction team was placing the first super-sized element of the dome structure, and now we are completing the outer dome cladding. This is testament to the advanced techniques used to execute one of the museum’s most challenging architectural features.”

Once completed, Louvre Abu Dhabi will feature  permanent galleries, a temporary gallery, a children’s museum and an auditorium.

• Meydan One first phase on target
• Gardens project to house 40,000
• Bloom to build 302 homes in Abu Dhabi
• Fischer Fixing on course to open largest regional office
• Dubai South gets first homes
• Caparol Paints to expand business across region
• Enshaa handing over luxury D1 Tower in Culture Village
• Knauf AMF acoustic ceilings installed at Tawam Hospital
• G&Co unveils Viridian at The Fields at MBR City
• Louvre dome cladding marks key milestone
• Work on community centre to begin
• Update
• Deyaar to start work on Midtown by year-end
• RSG handing over project at IMPZ

Tags

Saudi Build Glass & Metal The Big 5 Drilling & Tunnelling ICT Precast Concrete Sealants & Adhesives Just Out Legally Bound Regional News Saudi Focus UAE Focus Events Diary of events Tenders Contractors Real Estate Interiors Manufacturers & Procurement

Gulf Construction is the undisputed leading trade journal for the building and construction industries of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states. The magazine provides editorial coverage on a wide range of topics which are of interest to industry professionals. In addition, regular features highlight technological developments within specific industry fields. Launched 40 years ago, the magazine has established an enviable reputation as an authoritative, respected journal with unmatched coverage of the Gulf region. Gulf Construction is essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the region’s building and construction industry.