His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today (February 22) inaugurated the Museum of the Future, as Dubai’s new iconic landmark officially opened its doors to the world with a new message of hope for all humankind.

 

The 77-m-tall architectural marvel will provide the largest platform in the region to study, envision and design the future. It is a novel scientific and intellectual centre where the brightest talents in the fields of science, technology, research and innovation will converge to discover solutions to tomorrow’s world, reported Wam.

 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed said: "The Museum of the Future is a message of hope ... a global scientific platform ... and an integrated institutional framework to shape a better future for all of us."

 

"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 stated.

 

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation, said it will be an intellectual laboratory for cities of the future and governments of the future.. it will play a key role in strengthening Dubai’s future position. The Museum will provide a clear roadmap for Dubai’s vital sectors."

 

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said through this museum, Sheikh Mohammed aims to instutionalise future foresight and explore its opportunities to enhance the nation’s competitiveness.

 

"We seek to accelerate the transition towards a knowledge-based economy in the region and explore practical scientific solutions to the greatest challenges of our times, both today and tomorrow," he added.

 

The opening ceremony featured several videos highlighting the concept of the Museum of the Future and the vision of Sheikh Mohammed to transform Dubai into the most developed city in the world.

 

Considered one of the most complex architectural projects in the world, it was built using the "parametric design" model, a three-dimensional technology based on advanced technical design that works by entering data and parameters for the building to be designed.

 

The stainless-steel facade of the museum consists of 1,024 panels over an area of 17,600 sq m. The facade panels were produced using automated robotic arms in a first in the region, with each panel consisting of 4 layers, and requiring a 16-step process to produce. 

 

Each panel was installed individually, with the installation period for the external facade lasting more than 18 months.

 

The museum is accessed via two bridges, the first of which extends to the buildings of Jumeirah Emirates Towers with a length of 69 m, and the second connects it to the Emirates Towers metro station with a length of 212 m, according to Wam. 

 

The museum is fed with 4,000 MW of electricity that is produced through solar energy using solar panels connected to the museum.

 

Unfolding futuristic exhibitions, the Museum of the Future is a remarkable addition to the world’s most important landmarks and icons. It is considered an unparalleled architectural masterpiece thanks to its pioneering engineering design that stands ahead of its time.

 

It will also be an incubator for global talents, scientists, thinkers and researchers, to bring their bold ideas and visions of the future to life. The Museum will launch new initiatives in the fields of science and technology to strengthen the UAE’s knowledge-base to further accelerate scientific development, it stated.

 

The facade of the Museum of the Future is illuminated by 14,000 m of light lines and is decorated with inspirational quotes from Sheikh Mohammed’s poetry in Arabic calligraphy, making it the only building in the world whose entire façade is adorned using the art of calligraphy. 

 

The engraved writing on the steel facade is designed using advanced glass manufactured with new technologies specifically to improve the quality of interior lighting and exterior thermal insulation, said the Wam report.

 

Spanning an area of 30,000 sq m, the seven-storey pillarless structure also represents a novel global intellectual centre. 

 

It is a "living" laboratory designed to foster a spirit of collaborative innovation among leading scientists to inspire new out-of-the-box solutions to tomorrow’s greatest challenges and spur a new era of scientific discovery in the region and beyond.

 

The Museum of the Future seeks to lead the knowledge movement as a centre for the latest advanced scientific and technological innovations.

 

In addition, the Museum of the Future will connect futurists, scientists, technologists and industry leaders by holding regular forums, dialogues, seminars and research sessions throughout the year. The museum will also disseminate knowledge and research that sheds light on the most important scientific discoveries, developments and trends.

 

It 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.

 

The Museum of the Future features a multi-use hall that accommodates more than 1,000 people, and its sections include a special hall for interactive lectures and workshops that can accommodate more than 345 people.

 

It also includes innovation laboratories for health, education, smart cities, energy and transportation, a permanent museum of future innovations, and laboratories to generate and test new ideas, especially in developmental areas related to critical social challenges.

 

The Museum of the Future takes its visitors on an experiential journey that transports them to the year 2071, which coincides with the centenary of the founding of the UAE. 

 

The journey takes visitors from a universal to a personal realm, based on an approach that emphasises the importance of one's connection to the universe within the framework of a relationship of mutual influence, and promotes the principle of each individual's role in shaping the future.