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Abu Dhabi’s new museum district: a Guggenheim, a Louvre, two starchitects and an artists’ uproar

Artists rendering of the Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in September 2013, is being developed alongside the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island, as part of the $27 billion art and culture project, the Saadiyat Cultural District.
A tender was recently issued for the main construction contract on the Louvre Abu Dhabi, by the Tourism Development and Investment Council (TDIC). The contract is to be awarded in June.
The Louvre and the Guggenheim will be spin offs of their counterparts in Paris and New York. The Zayed National Museum will relate the story of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the history of the region.
The architect for the Louvre Abu Dhabi is Jean Nouvel; for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Frank Gehry. The openings of the Zayed Museum and the Guggenheim are projected for 2014.
A group of 130 artists has announced a boycott of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, citing worker abuses. See story in New York Times.
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin ([email protected]) is a leading journalist, content marketing specialist and connector in the international attractions industry. She reports on design and technical design, production and project management, industry trends and company culture. From 2005-2020 she ran communications and publications for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). In 2013, she was honored with the TEA Service Award. She was development director of IMERSA and publicist for the Large Format Cinema Association, and has contributed to the publications of PLASA, IAAPA and the International Planetarium Society. Judith joined World’s Fair magazine in 1987, which introduced her to the attractions industry. She joined InPark in 2010. Judith earned a BFA from Pratt Institute. She has lived in Detroit, New York, Oakland, and now Saint Louis, where she is active in the local arts community.

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