This week Sou Fujimoto’s design for a residential project was revealed as the latest development on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Here we take a look at the museums anchoring the cultural district.
After being planned for decades, the Saadiyat Island cultural district has developed quickly in recent years.
Four out of five cultural anchors are now complete, with the final major cultural building on the island – Guggenheim Abu Dhabi – set to open this year.
Surrounding these museums will be numerous residential buildings, including the development designed by Fujimoto and the Mandarin Oriental Residences by Danish studio BIG.
Here are Saadiyat Island’s five cultural anchors:
Photo by Lizzie Crook
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, by Frank Gehry, under construction
Set to open later this year, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be the late Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry‘s last major building.
Located on a tip of the island surrounded by water on two sides, the long-awaited museum is formed of vast clashing geometric forms, which will contain galleries of varying heights and styles.
Find out more about Guggenheim Abu Dhabi ›
Photo by Zayed National Museum
Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners, 2025
The centrepiece of the cultural development, the soaring Zayed National Museum is named after UAE founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and dedicated to the history, culture and landscape of the Emirates.
Modelled on the wings of a falcon, the museum designed by UK studio Foster + Partners was topped with five giant steel towers, described as “thermal chimneys”.
Find out more about Zayed National Museum ›
Photo by Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
National History Museum by Mecanoo, 2025
Set on a coastal site, the sprawling Natural History Museum is contained within a series of white-concrete forms designed by Dutch studio Mecanoo to resemble rock formations.
Designed for Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, the blocky exterior is wrapped in ridged panels of ultra-high performance concrete to ensure “durability in the desert climate”.
Find out more about National History Museum ›
Photo by Lizzie Crook
TeamLab Phenomena by TeamLab Architects, 2025
The third of a trio of cultural buildings completed on the island in 2025, TeamLab Phenomena is located directly alongside the National History Museum on the coast of Saadiyat Island.
Created as a permanent venue for Japanese art collective TeamLab’s immersive artworks, the almost windowless building has a sinuous form made from white, glass fibre-reinforced concrete.
Find out more about TeamLab Phenomena ›
Photo by Roland Halbe
Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel, 2017
The first of the cultural anchors completed on Saadiyat Island, Louvre Abu Dhabi – the first Musée du Louvre outpost outside of France – has been open since 2017.
Almost entirely surrounded by water and topped with a 180-metre-diameter dome, the art museum contains 6,400 square metres of gallery space along with a 270-seat auditorium, restaurant, shop and cafe.