Megaproject update: Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi

Not long to go…

In mid-October 2024, His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council was briefed on the final stages of some huge cultural megaprojects. This includes the Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the construction and establishment of which will be completed by the end of 2025.

During the tour, Sheikh Khalid visited the Zayed National Museum which will showcase an inspiring story of our great nation and its visionary founder – Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

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National History Museum in Abu Dhabi

teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi

Team Lab Phenomenon (exterior)

teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi

teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi

Zayed National Museum Abu Dhabi

Zayed National Museum Abu Dhabi

The stunning building was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster, with the Zayed National Museum’s distinctive towers deliberately reminiscent of the wingtips of a falcon. At the moment, construction on the ‘wings’ is now complete, while the interiors are nearing their final stages.

In Dubai’s Etihad Museum, visitors were given a sneak peek into the treasures it will hold through the Introducing Zayed National Museum: The Foundations of Unity exhibition organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum in collaboration with Dubai Culture.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visited the museum’s lobby which is designed to reflect the architectural creativity of the building.

After he visited the Zayed National Museum, Sheikh Khalid toured the Natural History Museum. Announced back in 2022, the museum will be similar to the National History Museums found across the world. It will deal with the history of the earth and usually features full-skeletal reconstructions of long-extinct creatures, such as the London museum’s famous ‘Dippy’ (the Diplodocus).

Visitors will teleport back in time up to 13.8 billion years ago and will listen to stories about our history on Earth. During Sheikh Khalid’s tour, he got to experience one of the most prominent exhibitions in the museum.

Lastly, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi also visited the digital art museum, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.

Earlier this week we announced that it is scheduled to open to the public by the end of 2024 but we have to wait for official dates to be announced.

A few lucky visitors were able to experience its wonders offering testimonials which we spotted via the official Instagram page. They highlighted how it’s a fully immersive experience and that they’re “one with the art, while it incorporates all five senses”. Others amazedly express that walking through the exhibits sparked feelings of joy and fulfilment, with some describing it as a sensory overload.

Sheikh Khalid was pictured visiting the experience, and after viewing the photos, all we can say is… We can’t wait to check it out for ourselves!

Images: Abu Dhabi Media Office