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WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX MUSEUM BUILDING: MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

MUSEUM REVIEW
WORLD'S MOST COMPLEX BUILDING: Museum of the Future

Location: The Museum of the Future is located in the Emirates Towers area on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

Founded:
by the Dubai Future Foundation
in 2014.
Cover Photograph: dubaifuture.ae

Institution of its affiliation: UAE government, Dubai Future Foundation
On 24 April 2016, Mohammed bin Rashid launched 'Dubai Future Foundation'. Under the new structure, the Museum of the Future became a part of the Dubai Future Foundation.

Cost: $136M

Mission-Vision-Motto of the Museum:
Its motto: "See the future, create the future"
Mission and Goals: "The Museum is a home for inspiration, open to all. Its goal is to provide light in dark times: in an age of anxiety and cynicism about the future, they are showing that things can and must progress. Its imagined futures are fundamentally hopeful, but honest about the dangers of the present. In its exhibitions, publications, films and public events, they will show how the problems of the present can provide the raw material for a better world. They are committed to transforming imagination into action."

Mission-vision of the institution to which the museum is affiliated:
Dubai Future Foundation's Mission: "To Collectively Imagine, Inspire and Design Dubai’s Future"
Dubai Future Foundation's Vision: " To Make Dubai a Leading City of the Future Our Mission"

Contains: The museum comprises three main parts: a green mound, which forms a landscaped three-storey podium, the building on top, and the void in the centre. Inside, there are six column-free exhibition floors, one administration level, and a food and beverage deck. There are also plans for a conference hall, a retail area, parking space and other services.
Large Exhibition Space-Education Lab-Smart City Lab-Main Exhibition Area-Plantrooms-Carparks

Design of the Museum:

Design Architect: Killa Design
Engineer: Buro Happold
Main Contractor: Bam International
Developer: North25
Project manager and employers representative: Matthews Southwest
Cost consultant: AECOM
AoR/EoR: Rice Perry Ellis Cracknell (Landscape)
AV/ICT: Mediatech
VT: RBA
Civils: CDM Smith
Programming: Matrix
H&S: Atkins
Security: Arkan
Auditorium: Theatre Projects

The Museum of the Future is considered an engineering miracle at 30,000 square meters and 77 meters in height. The building consists of seven floors and characterized by the absence of columns inside, making its engineering design a milestone in urban engineering.

Killa Design: “The form started to originate through the design of a building that, first of all, looked futuristic; however, I came to understand that the client appreciated the sense of feng shui,” says principal Shaun Killa, who conceived the building’s revolutionary form. In feng shui, a round shape represents both the fertile fields of earth and the limitless imagination of the sky above—therefore, the past, present, and future. While the building would evolve with exhibits of the future of education, health care, smart cities, transportation, government services, and more for the next five or perhaps 10 years, the void in the center of the building represents the unknown, according to Killa. “People who seek what we don’t know are the inventors and discoverers for the future.”

To ensure constructability and attain LEED Platinum status, Killa worked closely with BuroHappold for engineering services and BAM International for construction, employing 4D sequencing in BIM and reality capture for visualization. The engineers used computer programming to define the architectural form. Dynamic links were created between parameters using their aspects, enabling real-time, continuous modification of the design. While this was a painstaking process, such modelling meant that all of the steel tubes had exactly the same diameter. This uniformity made the construction work much faster and simpler. Once the reinforced concrete ring beam and tower supporting the diagrid were built, the steel required was completed in just 14 months. BAM International, in collaboration with other project stakeholders, has employed advanced building information modelling (BIM) and 3D modelling technologies to support the delivery of the project. The facade of the Museum consists of 1,024 pieces entirely manufactured by robots. The facade panels are produced using automated robotic arms. Each plate consists of four layers, and each layer has been created after following 16 process steps. The installation period of the external facade lasted for more than 18 months, and each of the panels installed separately. The facade area is 17,600 square meters. The facade, which extends over more than 17 thousand square meters, is illuminated by 14 thousand meters of lighting calligraphy. The writings are inspiring quotes of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai “May God protect him” in Arabic calligraphy. The Arabic calligraphy was designed by the Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej. Among the quotes of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid engraved on the external walls of the Museum are: “We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone. “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it… The future does not wait… The future can be designed and built today.”

Team: 201-500 employees
Lāth Carlson: Executive Director- The Museum of the Future, Dubai Future Foundation

Exhibitions-Collections: The Museum combines elements of exhibition, immersive theatre and themed attraction. Each floor is like a film set from a future that you can inhabit, explore and interact with. The settings and scenes that they are crafting are immersive, but also expansive: they are designed to expand what the audience thinks possible - for the world, for the future and for themselves. This content has been crafted by a team of the world’s leading product, media, exhibition and experience designers. Topics featured include the future of space travel and living, climate change and ecology, health, wellness and spirituality.

Transportation-Distances: The Museum of the Future is located on Sheikh Zayed Road. The Emirates Towers Metro Station on the Red Line is the closest, within a 5-minute walking distance of the venue.
Burj Al Arab-19 mins drive
Dubai International Airport-14 mins drive
Ibn Battuta Mall-24 mins drive
Al Maktoum International Airport-45 mins drive
Dubai Mall-7 mins drive
La Mer by Meraas-16 mins drive
Mall of the Emirates-16 mins drive
The Walk JBR-24 mins drive
Palm Jumeirah-20 mins drive

Environmental Factors - Comfort Zones (Especially for visitors from different places):
Accommodation Options: Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, The Tower Plaza Hotel Dubai, Crowne Plaza Dubai Apartments and more...

The Museum will offer... : The Museum of the Future claims that it seeks to foster solutions to the challenges that face future cities, in addition to housing innovations and being a hub that brings researchers, designers, inventors and financiers under one roof. The museum will host innovation labs dedicated to several sectors, including health, education, smart cities, energy and transport. It will also support and test new inventions in partnership with research institutes and universities. And it’s not only a tourist attraction, but the Museum of the Future also serves as a platform for:
-Advanced courses
-Specialised workshops
-Science conferences
-Prototype testing of the latest inventions and startups

Research Field/Fields, Labs: The museum, which is the next project in Dubai Future Foundation, is dedicated to exploring the threats and opportunities of our future, and will promote research to “conceiving a better future for ourselves and our planet.

Human Comfort (Should be considered separately for Visitors and Staff: Parking Lot-Food&Bev-garden etc.)
7 Storeys of exhibition space, 3 podium levels including a 420 seat auditorium, restaurant, cafe and lobby. The Museum of the Future is comprised of three main parts: the green hill, the building and the void. The green hill represents the earth, with solidity, permanence, and rootedness in place, time and history. This is done through the smooth transition from the site in the form of an earthen, vegetated mound with minimal visible built intervention. The inspiration for the green hill was also to elevate the building in a calm and unobtrusive way above the metro line and create greenery in elevation that is uncommon in Dubai where visitors can enjoy while engaging with the Museum.

Sustainability of the Museum:
The Museum of the Future is situated in a strategic location in the very heart of Dubai. With an eye on the future, the Museum is situated at the “Dubai Future District” that includes the Emirates Towers, the 2071 area of the Dubai Future Foundation, the Dubai World Trade Center, and the Dubai International Financial Center. It is an area that is the largest in the region committed to exploring the future.

The most notable features that distinguish it from other museums:

1) The building is powered by 4,000 Mega Watts of electricity produced through solar energy by a new station connected to the Museum. The station was built in collaboration with Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), making the Museum upon completion, the first Museum in the Middle East to obtain a Platinum certification from LEED, the highest rating for green buildings in the world. The park surrounding the Museum of the Future contains 80 species of plants, equipped with a state-of-the-art intelligent and automatic irrigation system.

2) The Museum of the Future is considered an unparalleled urban icon around the world. It won the Tikla International Building Award as a unique architectural model. There is no other building in the world constructed on superior technologies, thereby distinguishing it from other landmarks. Autodesk Design Software stated that the Museum of the Future is one of the most innovative buildings in the world. The building was designed by Engineer Sean Keila to offer visitors an interactive experience that is the first of its kind. The Museum of the Future is a real engineering miracle, as is evident after the completion of its external façade. It floats without foundations, pillars, or columns, thanks to the use of the latest technologies. In the design of its iconic exterior, meticulous engineering calculations were used through advanced software on giant computers with ultra-fast processors to calculate the best, most durable, and responsive curve formulas to design its foundations, solid metal structure, and its unique external interface.

3) Museum of the Future has been named one of National Geographic’s 14 most beautiful museums of the world.

4) The calligraphy and the building’s unconventional shape have made this world's most complex construction project ever attempted.

Some topics that we cannot reach, but would like to follow in the process:

-Who worked in the design process of the museum? (Hoping that not only engineers, designers, software developers and architects designed the museum): Curatorial research team, museologist or museologists (if any)... 

- Curatorial Scenario: What were their curatorial scenarios? 

-Museum Policies (Comprehensive content from Management Chart to Collection Management)

-Strategy Reports (For 5 years-10 years...etc.)

-Preventive Protection Plans/Measures (Museum-Its Collections)

-Emergency Plan

-Collaborations (Both into and out of the country)

And finally, let's remember how the museum project started...
In 2015, Dubai government creates innovation fee to fund Museum of the Future. In order to fund its planned AED500m (US$136.2m, €124.1m, £87.9m) Museum of the Future, Dubai’s government is imposing an ‘innovation fee’ on some of its agencies to support the museum and future projects. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, issued a new law ruling that several government agencies would be charging a fee of AED10 (US$2.72, €2.48, £1.76) for each transaction with services supplied.
The following expressions were used to describe the profile of the museum in 2015: The city of Dubai has launched ambitious plans for what it calls its “Eiffel Tower” – the AED500m (US$136.1m, €123.2m, £89.4m) Museum of the Future. The museum, which comes in the form of a futuristic looking oblong, will showcase innovations in design and technology from multiple fields including transportation, health and education. The structure itself will incorporate bespoke technology, including major sections built using 3D printing construction techniques. The institution will use design, technology prototyping and foresight to create examples of real change. The attraction will continuously change exhibits every six months to keep pace with changing trends in technology, with the overarching aim to “always be 10 years ahead of today.”

What about the statue...
The finger salute statue symbolizes Win, Victory and Love, trademarking work ethic and success of the nation. Advance laser 3D scanning and high end CADCAM software were used to bring this unique concept into life. Precision multi-axes CNC robots ensured tight tolerance manufacturing of the statue. The feature is engineered to withstand the region’s challenging climatic conditions without compromising on the exquisite aesthetic appeal. And Grankraft's additional task (in addition to lift, stair etc.) was the erection of the 12m tall hand statue in front of the main building facing Sheikh Zayed Road. This hand sign, the 3-finger salute, was coined by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in 2013. It shows the W for Win, the V for Victory and the L for Love. The sign has become a trademark gesture for many UAE citizens and residents and symbolise work ethic, success and love of the nation.

For more information, please visit:
https://museumofthefuture.ae/en
https://www.dubaifuture.ae/about/ 

Photograph: Phil Handforth

Sources: 
attractionsmanagement,metinvestholding,thesustainabilist,dezeen,arabiahorizons,killadesign,constructionweekonline,grankraft,redshift.autodesk,parametrichouse


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