The Opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi

Topped by an enormous signature dome of overlapping geometric lattices that weighs more than 7,500 tons, the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, will open to the public this weekend, on November 11, 2017. The new museum will showcase hundreds of works of art from around the world. Back in 2007, the Louvre Museum in Paris signed a $525 million agreement to allow the government of Abu Dhabi to use the “Louvre” name for its new museum for 30 years, and $750 million more for ongoing management advice and assistance. The project, more than a decade in development, drew criticism for the use of migrant workers in its construction, with the history of abuse and exploitation of such workers in that region. Although the architect recently defended the treatment of the workers, and UAE authorities say they have made progress on labor rights, critics maintain that conditions remain appalling.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Nhac Nguyen / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • May 20, 2019
    • 20 Photos

    Buddha Day Celebrations in Photos

    Observations of Vesak, or Buddha Day, from several countries across Asia

  • Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • May 17, 2019
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Snowy Ladybug, Shattered Lance, Mexican Smog

    Engineering fashion in Beijing, a luxury houseboat for rising seas, flooding in Paraguay, the Giro d’Italia cycling race in Italy, Buddha’s-birthday observations in Taiwan, skateboarding in Los Angeles, and much more

  • adoc-photos / Corbis via Getty
    • In Focus
    • May 15, 2019
    • 37 Photos

    100 Years Ago in Photos: A Look Back at 1919

    Please take a moment to look back at some of the events and sights from around the world a century ago.

  • Kevin Frayer / Getty
    • In Focus
    • May 13, 2019
    • 15 Photos

    Photos of Huawei’s European-Themed Campus in China

    The Ox Horn research and development campus is being developed as 12 separate “towns,” with research buildings being modeled after famous castles, palaces, and more.

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. End the Plague of Secret Parenting
  2. What Happens When You Always Wear Headphones
  3. Why So Many Women Choose Abortion Over Adoption
  4. It’s Time to Hold American Elites Accountable for Their Abuses
  5. The College That Gives Graduates the Wrong Diploma
  6. Abolish the Priesthood
  7. The Medieval Practices That Reshaped Europe’s Fish
  8. Game of Thrones Is Over. Now What About the Books?
  9. Nancy Pelosi Might Be the Last Barrier Between Trump and Impeachment
  10. Why Celebrities Are So Susceptible to Grifters
Back to Top