The Museum tells the story of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1918-2004) who, as President of the UAE from 1971 to 2004, was responsible for guiding the Emirates to unification and leading the social and cultural development of the country.
WSP was appointed, as part of a joint venture with Foster + Partners, to lead the engineering design and translate the ambitious concept design into something buildable and functional.
The most striking features of the Museum are the five tapering steel structures that soar up to 124m above the elevated mound and which incorporate the gallery spaces suspended beneath. Sculpted to resemble the feathers of a falcon, the steel structures act as thermal chimneys, using the same aerodynamic principles as a bird’s wings to capture fresh air and draw cooling air currents naturally through the Museum. Other passive design strategies include the use of fair-faced concrete interiors, natural ventilation and cooling which adapts to seasonal changes.
