Checking Up on the Louvre Abu Dhabi

The photos were posted on Monday by Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE, who wrote, "Amazed by progress made by great teams working 24/7 on the [Louvre Abu Dhabi] 1st Universal Museum of the Century! Opening soon!"

Although it is great to see the building in what is basically its final form, the in-progress photos come five years after the building was initially planned to open. The financial crisis put a crimp in those plans, but even a revised opening date of 2015 failed to materialize. In fall 2016 an opening date of 2017 was officially confirmed, yet without any details on the day or even month. To date the museum's website just says "Opening Soon." Regardless, Pouille's photos make us optimistic that it will open before the end of the year.

Designed for a site within the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, Nouvel's design of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is marked by a striking double dome 590 feet (180m) in diameter. The dome sits above the boxy volumes that contain the galleries, shading the interstitial spaces through the structure's complex geometries. Needless to say, it is one of the most anticipated works of contemporary architecture this decade.

(h/t: Design Mena)

Amazed by progress made by great teams working 24/7 on the @LouvreAbuDhabi 1st Universal Museum of the Century! Opening soon! @FranceEmirats pic.twitter.com/1FF4HM1tIU

— Ludovic Pouille (@ludovic_pouille) August 21, 2017