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

  • Mahmud Hams / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • July 3, 2020
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Pride Lights, Paddy Day, Grizzly Swim

    A new waterslide in the Czech Republic, a cat on the Algerian waterfront, a grotto reopening in Italy, burying a coronavirus victim in Russia, a wildfire in Colorado, and much more

  • Steve Helber / AP
    • In Focus
    • July 2, 2020
    • 27 Photos

    The Statues Brought Down Since the George Floyd Protests Began

    Images of some of the dozens of statues that have been toppled, defaced, or slated for removal across the U.S. over the past month

  • Shahid Ali / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • July 1, 2020
    • 18 Photos

    Photos: The Locust Swarms of 2020

    Images from hard-hit areas in Kenya, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Yemen, taken over recent months

  • Michelle Sole / Shutterstock
    • In Focus
    • June 30, 2020
    • 27 Photos

    Scenes From Antarctica

    Recent images of the Antarctic landscape, wildlife, and research facilities, as well as some of the work taking place there

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. Trump Is Turning America Into the ‘Shithole Country’ He Fears
  2. Do Americans Understand How Badly They’re Doing?
  3. COVID-19 Can Last for Several Months
  4. We Returned to Normal
  5. Australia Has a Flesh-Eating-Bacteria Problem
  6. James Baldwin Was Right All Along
  7. The 3 Weeks That Changed Everything
  8. White Voters Are Abandoning Trump
  9. The Shameful Final Grievance of the Declaration of Independence
  10. The Week America Lost Control of the Pandemic
Back to Top