A small cluster of settlements as recent as the early 1960s, Dubai has transformed dramatically since the discovery of oil in the region in 1966. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum leveraged the city’s newfound wealth to initiate a range of development projects, including the construction of the Dubai World Trade Centre and the widening of the Dubai Creek.
Today, Dubai is a luxury tourist destination known for its extravagant architecture and plethora of skyscrapers. It’s home to the world’s tallest building, the 2,716-foot Burj Khalifa, as well as other famed structures such as the Dubai Mall, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Opera, and JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Towers.
The Museum of the Future is the latest building in Dubai to titillate the city’s appetite for ornate and masterfully designed structures. The architectural marvel, situated along the Sheikh Zayed Road, opened to the public in February 2022 and has already earned distinction by National Geographic as one of the world’s 14 most beautiful museums. Here’s what you need to know about the facility:
1. It Was Founded by the Dubai Future Foundation
The Museum of the Future is the brainchild of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), which was created to promote collaboration among innovators to further promote technological advancement and position Dubai as a leading city of the future. The DFF conceived the idea for the Museum of the Future to showcase possibilities for innovation across various aspects of society on a grand, immersive scale.
It is working to achieve these grandiose goals via a range of initiatives spanning the following four areas of focus: Future, Foresight & Imagination, Content & Knowledge Dissemination, Capacity Building, and Future Design & Acceleration. Within these areas of focus are strategic initiatives and events, including Dubai Future Councils, Dubai Future Talks, One Million Arab Coders, and Area 2071, the latter of which is a co-creation space for the world’s brightest minds named in recognition of the date in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will celebrate its centennial.
In addition, the DFF is hosting the inaugural Dubai Future Forum from October 10-12 at the Museum of the Future. The event is expected to bring together leading futurists and thought leaders across diverse sectors to source solutions for some of the world’s most pressing issues.
2. It Features Many Intricate and Unique Designs
Called “the most beautiful building in the world” by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Museum of the Future is an oval-shaped structure built atop a solid green mound meant to symbolize Earth. The building itself, covered in Arabic calligraphy, symbolizes humanity, while the void in the center represents the unknown future of our world. The building isn’t a perfect oval because lead architect Shaun Killa wanted to have an off-center void to indicate a feeling of perpetual motion, representing the ever-changing future.
“The people who seek the unknown are the people who invent and discover things,” Killa, partner at Dubai-based Killa Design, told CNN about his vision for the museum’s exterior. “These people will constantly replenish the museum over time, so there’s a perpetual continuum because of the unknown. That’s why the void is there—you have our understanding of the future, and then you have something that isn’t there.”
Killa added that he conceived of the design during a late-night session in the fourth week of a six-week competition. The unique design prompted concern about its feasibility from Killa’s 3D modeling expert but plans eventually moved forward.
Construction of the museum took about six years. The final touches of the Thuluth Arabic script on the exterior took nearly five months and required film-making software due to its parametric design. The script is based on three Sheikh Mohammed quotes, one of which is “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. It isn’t something you await, but rather create.”
3. The Inside of the Museum Is As Amazing As the Outside
The 77-meter-high Stainless Steel structure features a range of exhibits highlighting the potential future of business sectors and technology, including healthcare, aviation, space travel, and smart cities. The lobby features the world’s tallest double helix staircase, which was crafted by a manufacturer of submarine noses using steel-bending technology.
One of the other highlights in the lobby is a high-speed elevator, designed to resemble a futuristic spacecraft, that vaults visitors to the OSS Hope space station, a curated space said to be 600 kilometers above the earth and five decades into the future. Other proposed technologies on display include under-skin payment chips and virus-resistant clothing.
The Museum of the Future also includes an area specifically designed for children. The Future Heroes space encompasses three experiences (Imagine, Design, and Build) and integrates video game elements to help children expand their critical thinking capabilities and gain courage and confidence while also having fun.
4. It Is the Headquarters for the Great Arab Minds Fund
In addition to its futuristic exhibits and several forums and initiatives, the Museum of the Future is the headquarters for the Great Arab Minds fund. This five-year, $27.2 million government initiative seeks to identify and further develop exceptional Arab talents in a diverse range of sectors.