A Brief History Of Time

The Louvre Abu Dhabi tells the story of humanity through chronology, not geography, drawing connections between cultures from prehistory to present day

A silver cosmic dome rises over warm desert sands and clear blue water, seemingly weightless despite its 7,500 tonnes. Sunlight pierces through its layers of metal latticework—a complex arrangement of 7,850 stars— casting flecks of shadows across white buildings and promenades. It’s otherworldly, this interplay of nature and architecture. At the newly-opened Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first artwork one encounters is the structure itself, designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Jean Nouvel.

Spaces for quiet contemplation under the dome evoke not only Arabic architecture’s cupola, but also the shade offered by Abu Dhabi’s palm trees. The detached galleries, reminiscent of the region’s lowlying homes, bring to mind the streets of an Arabian medina. And there’s art in unexpected spaces, through outdoor site-specific installations by American neo-conceptual artist Jenny Holzer and Italian sculptor Giuseppe Penone. The museum brings together French design, Arabic culture, and international art to stunning effect.