The new Louvre is the ultimate trophy for Abu Dhabi, but it’s only the beginning for a city with the grandest designs for its future, writes
While Dubai may have spent much of the past two decades building tall towers and hosting parties, Abu Dhabi, its more reserved rival city, has been pursuing soft power of another kind in an effort to shore up an oil-free future. A long-term campaign by the Abu Dhabi government to persuade marquee cultural institutions to open outposts in the city – part of its blueprint to create an essential stopover between hemispheres – came to fruition spectacularly last year when the Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in a cluster of 55 pavilions designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. It joins the distinctive gold-domed UAE Pavilion events space and Manarat Al Saadiyat arts and cultural centre on Saadiyat Island, a 27-square-kilometre island adjacent to the main island of Abu Dhabi.
The Louvre is among the first of a number of cultural institutions designed by high-profile architects planned for Saadiyat; but agreements have been signed for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, a maritime museum by Tadao Ando, a performing arts centre by the late Zaha Hadid and the Zayed National Museum by Norman Foster.
Add a vibrant food scene, big-ticket sporting events such as the Formula One Grand Prix, the Ferrari World theme park and OTT malls seemingly designed to test the limits of retail endurance, and this city of 1.8 million people gives Dubai a run for its oil money.
EAT AND DRINK
Al Aqssa
Denne historien er fra June 2018-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra June 2018-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Not a vegetable but rather a flower bud that rises on a thistle, the artichoke is a complex delight. Its rewards are hard won; first you must get past the armour of petals and remove the hairy choke. Those who step up are rewarded with sweet and savoury creaminess and the elusive flavour of spring. Many of the recipes here begin with the same Provençal braise. Others call on the nuttiness of artichokes in their raw form. The results make pasta lighter and chicken brighter or can be fried to become a vessel for bold flavours all of which capture the levity of the season.
