Falcons' wings over Saadiyat

Five steel wings of the Zayed National Museum are a defining feature of Saadiyat Island's coastal landscape in Abu Dhabi. Visitors to the museum are able to discover the history of the United Arab Emirates. The building's silhouette designed by Foster + Partners pays homage to falconry, which was close to the heart of founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The color scheme is also linked to the location: The warm white of the island's sand provides a link between the building's outer shell and the interior. In the sanitary areas, the D-Code range by Duravit complements the light interior.

Air management according to the chimney principle

According to Foster + Partners, the towers support natural ventilation of the building. Warm air escapes through openings at the top of the towers, while air which has been pre-cooled in the earth flows through underground pipes into the atrium. A hill surrounding a large part of the museum's rooms additionally limits the extent to which sunshine is able to heat up the interior.

From the atrium to the coast

The routes through the museum converge in the light-filled Al Liwan atrium. The open area with walls of white exposed concrete serves as a meeting point and offers a stage for dance and poetry. From here, a sculptural spiral staircase and elevators lead to four of the six permanent exhibition galleries located in pod-like structures above the atrium. A dense mesh interlayer in the triple-laminated glazing moderates the level of sunlight entering the building.

Electrochromic glass skylights additionally react to the outside brightness and adapt their transparency accordingly. Faceted facade panels on the outside of the building cite the topography of the Emirates. Towards the coast, Al Masar Garden offers areas for socializing, recreation and relaxation.

A common design idiom for washing area and toilets

The museum's warm color palette also features in the sanitary areas, where sand-colored surfaces and extensive mirrors provide a backdrop for white washbasins and wall-mounted toilets from the D-Code range. The ceramics by sieger design combine rectangular forms with rounded contours. Wide rims provide vanity countertops at the washbasins. The common design idiom for washbasins and toilets ensures a coherent overall appearance for the sanitary facilities.

Infobox:

Location: Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Architecture: Foster + Partners
Completion: 2025
Duravit products used:
- D-Code wall-mounted toilet
- D-Code washbasin