Dubai on Tuesday debuted a new structure it dubbed the "most beautiful building on Earth."
The new building is known as the Museum of the Future, a silver, ellipse-shaped, and hollow seven-story structure, made from stainless steel and fiberglass, and prominently positioned on the city's main thoroughfare, Sheikh Zayed Road. Its exterior is decorated with Arabic writing that spells out quotes from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the current ruler of Dubai, and thousands of yards of LED lights, according to Raw Story.
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates and serves as the capital of its Emirate, also called Dubai. It is known globally for its impressive architecture, which strives to project an image of opulence and cutting-edge modernity. Most notably, the city is home to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at 2,722 feet, which is located minutes away from the new Museum of the Future.
"It is an architectural and engineering marvel, confidently straddling the past and the future and applying advanced technology to traditional art form," Dubai officials proclaimed on Tuesday, according to the New York Post.
The museum's first floor will reportedly boast exhibits based on outer space resource development, ecosystems, bioengineering, and health and wellbeing, according to the Post. The second floor will focus on near-future ideas meant to tackle issues like health, water, food, transportation, and energy. The third and final floor will offer exhibits and activities for children.
Leading up to the museum's gala debut, roadside billboards were erected around the city proclaiming it to be the "most beautiful building on Earth."
At present, the Museum of the Future is empty and no specifics have been released about its eventual contents. Organizers claim that, in the spirit of its name, the museum will eventually display innovative feats of technology and design meant to evoke a "journey to the year 2071." In October, Dubai opened the Expo 2020. Located on the fringe of the city, the Expo is a $7 billion venture, set to run through the end of March, that exhibits futuristic designs from 192 country pavilions.
Dubai's extravagant architecture is part of the United Arab Emirates' ongoing pursuit of diversifying its economic prospects. The country, like its neighbor Saudi Arabia, hopes to be known as a hub for tourism and trade, not just oil exports.
As part of this mission, a branch of the famed French art museum, the Louvre, opened in 2017 in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. The museum's license allows it to use the "Louvre" name through 2047.
The location was inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron and is considered France's "France's largest cultural project abroad." Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had attracted around 2 million visitors in total.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
