In addition to being designed by world-class architects,
Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island is being constructed to be
environmentally friendly
On your left is the Louvre Museum, housing some of history's best kept secrets behind bulletproof, temperature controlled glass.
To your right, behind the palm trees and solar panels, is the Guggenheim Museum, home to the finest collection of modern art. Ahead of you is the Shaikh Zayed National Museum, devoted to the history and traditions of Abu Dhabi and the admired ruler.
No, you are not in Paris or New York. The year is 2018 and you are walking through state-of-the-art Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi's latest development dedicated to the arts and culture.
Saadiyat, meaning happiness in Arabic, is a natural island extending 27 square kilometres, approximately 500 metres off the shore of Abu Dhabi. The island will be divided into districts of leisure, golf, residential, cultural projects and hotels.
The concept behind this latest development, due to be completed by 2018, is to create an island that praises culture through art. In addition to being designed by world-class architects, the island is being constructed to be environmentally friendly.
Since conception of the idea in 2004 by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), has turned the idea into a blueprint.
General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, says, "Saadiyat Island demonstrates the vision of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to further establish Abu Dhabi's position as a destination of international understanding.
"The aim of Saadiyat is to create a cultural asset for the world - a gateway and a beacon for cultural experience and exchange. Culture crosses all boundaries and therefore Saadiyat will belong to the people of the UAE, the Greater Middle East and the world at large."
TDIC public relations manager, Bassem Terkawi, says, "While all other architectural details such as luxury hotels and residential buildings and the natural shoreline that will form a long beach are fairly commonplace, what is really unique is the cultural nerve centre of the district that will house five world-class museums."
They are Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, to be designed by world-famous architect Frank Gehry; the Museum of Louvre by Jean Nouvel; the Maritime Museum by Tadao Ando; and the Performing Arts Centre to be designed by the London based Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.
The fifth and last Museum will be the Shaikh Zayed National Museum. The design for this was open to public competition.
"TDIC invited entries from all UAE residents," says Terkawi.
The winner of this competition has not yet been announced. "This museum will pay tribute to our ancestors who left us a wealth of cultural heritage that we are proud of. Within the Shaikh Zayed National Museum we shall conserve this heritage and build on it, as it is the soul of this land and its future generations," Hadid says.
If plans go according to schedule, the museums should be ready by 2012.
While ecologists may be concerned about the scale of this massive construction affecting the island's biodiversity (the island is home to a mangrove reserve), the project developers have given assurance that they would not damage, but rather preserve and build around the ecological system.
The Island will include 30 kilometres of beachfront access. While some of that property will belong exclusively to hotels, there will be public access points throughout the island for residents and guests.
It is structured to be a paradise for sea lovers. Aside from a marina with a berth capacity of 1,000 vessels, the island will house 150,000 apartments and villas with a sea view and a population the size of Hollywood, California.
The architects have already predicted heavy traffic flow in and out of the island, which explains their initiative to build two 10-lane highways to connect it with the city and the airport.
The challenge will be on how to integrate the Arabic culture with Western culture in such a way that either overpower or clash.
Art and culture do not only preserve history, they also define. This is the motivation behind Abu Dhabi investing millions of dollars in Saadiyat Island.
