Zayed National Museum, an architectural landmark located in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, has opened its doors to the public. 

The new national museum of UAE traces the history of the emirates - from the earliest evidence of human habitation to the civilisations that shaped its culture and identity, rooted in the values of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 

The building’s form addresses the challenge of sustaining life in a desert environment and the strong cultural traditions of the UAE.

"Zayed National Museum tells the story of Sheikh Zayed’s creation of the Emirates and the many facets of his legacy, including his vision of greening the desert. The building itself is an expression of sustainability, with five aerodynamic wings that are an integral part of the environmental system, acting as thermal chimneys and drawing cool air through the public spaces," remarked Norman Foster, the Founder and Executive Chairman at Foster + Partners.

"They are also symbolic of Sheikh Zayed’s love of the traditional sport of falconry and have become markers on the city skyline," he stated.

The museum’s five lightweight steel wings are part of the system of natural ventilation. Air vents open at the top of the towers, taking advantage of the negative pressure on the lee-side of the profile to draw hot air out from the atrium, assisted by the thermal effect of the heat build-up on the tips of the wings. 

"Air that has been naturally cooled through pipes buried deep below the desert floor then flows into the atrium through a low-level ventilation system. The wings are glazed to channel natural light into the galleries below, and each one is individually tuneable," explained Foster. 

The museum spaces are located within a mound, which has textured faceted panels that are an abstraction of the UAE’s topography. 

According to him, the mound insulates the interior spaces from solar gain, forming a protective shield that prevents heat from entering the building. 

"When visitors step inside the museum, they enter the light-filled atrium, or Al Liwan, which serves as both a meeting and orientation space, hosting performances such as traditional dance and poetry," he added.-TradeArabia News Service