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| Dubai's Museum of the Future |
It is said that predicting the future is not so easy, Wouldn't it
be more interesting to see the beauty and advancement of the future in the form of a museum in
such situations.
Dubai, which is known for its truly incredible
architecture, adding another marvel to its portfolio in the form of an amazing
building, 'Museum of the Future' (MOTF). Located next to the Emirates Towers on
Sheikh Zayed Road, The building is a seven-storeyed elliptical one and is
spread across 30,000 sq mt and is 77 metres tall, the same as the Burj
Khalifa and has already been recognized by National Geographic as one of the
world’s 14 most beautiful museums.
The giant egg-shaped Museum of the Future officially opened its doors on 22 February,
2022, with a ceremony to be held at the eye-catching structure, after
much delays caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
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| Its stainless-steel exterior is covered with quotes in Arabic calligraphy including, “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it and execute it.” AFP via Getty Images |
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President
and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the iconic landmark
during a grand ceremony that saw the Museum's exterior facade transformed into
a work of art.
The building is an epitome of architectural and cultural
beauty. It took nine years in the making. The facade alone took over 18 months
to complete. The Museum of the Future is deemed as a global centre for
inspiration, innovation and the development of solutions to challenges and
opportunities in human development, now it has become a permanent exhibition of
inspiring visions for the future of humanity.
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Building has four layers of composite material panels.
Sustainability has been one of the building's main focuses and keeping the
highest global standard of sustainability in mind, it is solar powered by a
dedicated solar park.
On the eve of its opening the building's striking facade was
lit up by a colourful laser light show in the evening as crowds gathered
outside to catch a glimpse.
The futuristic building contains a series of experiential
displays that aim to inspire different aspects of futuristic thinking, taking
the visitors on a journey to the year 2071.
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| Exhibits include a space station simulator via REUTERS |
“It is an architectural and engineering marvel, confidently
straddling the past and the future and applying advanced technology to
traditional art forms,” United Arab Emirates officials said during the opening.
The museum experience is expected to take around two to
three hours, Visitors can view prototypes of futuristic technology including
mind-reading brain implants and micro weight loss pills, according to the
museum’s official website. PCR tests or proof of vaccination are not required
for entry.
The project was announced in 2015 and originally slated to
open in 2017, according to a report from the official WAM news agency at the
time.
The striking architecture of the museum, located on the
city’s main artery Sheikh Zayed Road, includes calligraphy quotes made up
from Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Arabic poetry.
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| The interior spaces have no columns via REUTERS |
Of the quotes enveloping the façade, one translates to: “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. It isn’t something you await, but rather create.”
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"It embodies the active human imagination and the
Emirati will that continues to excel the world. The Museum will be a forum for
great minds, scientists, thinkers and experts from around the world," he
added.
It was designed by Dubai-based architect Shaun Killa, with a
computer-aided design and engineering system in place. This architectural
marvel is made of stainless steel and consists of 1024 pieces of art,
manufactured using robots which were able to create the demanding shapes.
According to Killa’s website, the empty space in the center of the
building’s design represents the “unwritten future into which humanity, and the
world can symbolically look towards.”
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| It stands alongside Dubai’s elevated train line via REUTERS |
The Museum of the Future aims to explore the challenges and
technologies shaping the future. It will look at a range of issues from climate
change to improving medical procedures.
A giant torus ‘eye’ tops this award-winning stainless steel structure.
The design demonstrates the latest in green technology and eco-friendly architecture. It is solar-powered and also includes charging points for electric cars. The building’s windows, waterproofing and insulation are one complete system.
The museum is accessed via two bridges, the first of which extends to the buildings of Jumeirah Emirates Towers with a length of 69 metres, and the second connects it to the Emirates Towers metro station with a length of 212 metres. The museum is fed with 4,000 megawatts of electricity that is produced through solar energy using solar panels connected to the museum.
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| Sheikh Mohammed address The Museum of the Future as a message of hope |
The Museum of the Future consists of three main elements: the hill or plateau from which the building rises, the external design of the building, and the exhibitions of the Museum.
The
Museum employs the latest technologies in virtual and augmented reality, big
data analysis, artificial intelligence and human machine interaction to answer
many questions related to the future of humanity, cities, societies and life on
Earth, all the way to outer space.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, managing director of the Dubai Future Foundation said of the museum’s first announcement, “The engineering icon positions Dubai as a testbed for emerging technologies and an exploration base for talents, inventors and creative professionals from all over the world to unravel the greatest challenges that will shape the future of humanity.
"The Museum of the Future is a ‘living museum,’
constantly adapting and metamorphosing as its very environment drives continual
and iterative change to its exhibits and attractions-"Gergawi added.
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