Louvre connection

Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel is bringing the first offshoot of France's most famous museum to the Gulf. James Boley investigates the art of designing the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The Louvre in Paris, France, is probably the most frequently name-dropped museum in the world.

It's the home of the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and for those more schooled in pop culture than high culture, it's also the setting for some of the dramatic events in Dan Brown's popular novel The Da Vinci Code.

Small wonder then, that when Abu Dhabi's ambitious plans for a cultural district on Saadiyat Island were floated, establishing an art museum of the Louvre's pedigree was high on the list.

Helping realise the dream is Jean Nouvel, who might be considered by some to be the perfect choice for a project that blends both Arabic and French culture.

The French Pritzker Prize winner first appeared on the global stage in 1981 with his blocky rationalist design for Paris's Arab World Institute.

Combining his understanding of Islamic architecture with his French background, Jean Nouvel has developed a striking design for an Arabian version of this most iconic of French museums.

Creating the dome

Perhaps the most immediately striking aspect of the building for the visitor is its distinctive 183m diameter dome.

The exterior appearance seems almost reminiscent of a futuristic spacecraft, a visible impression ironically supported by the dome's invisible support.

It has been designed to appear as if floating above the building itself. This has proved to be one of the major challenges for the team and indeed presents probably the great challenge of the entire project, admits Hala Wardé, partner at Ateliers Jean Nouvel (AJN).

"The dome is the major challenge of the design. It is exceptionally large and shallow," she says.

Currently, the dome is planned to be placed atop four or five support pillars-the final number has yet to be decided.

According to Tim Page, project director at project engineers Buro Happold, even on a five-point scheme, the largest span between pillars will be 130 metres.

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