Dubai’s Museum of the Future: A New Global Icon

The design of the museum combines the futuristic vision and the Arab heritage enveloped by a beautiful manuscript

A rendering of the eye-catching design. Courtesy Dubai Future Foundation
A rendering of the eye-catching design. Courtesy Dubai Future Foundation

Dubai’s Museum of the Future: A New Global Icon

The Emirate of Dubai has reached advanced stages of development in the fields of science and technology worldwide, thanks to the efforts of government and private institutions aimed at making Dubai a smart city in the coming years. But at the same time, and on another level, the Emirate has preserved its cultural identity and honorable history from its inception until now.

“Museum Of The Future” is a unique initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, with the aim of exploring the future of science, technology and innovation. The Museum opened its doors for the first time to the public in an exhibition held on the sidelines of the 2016 World Government Summit. The museum is scheduled to open today, Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

Dubai’s Museum of the Future symbolizes the maturity of technology use in complex design structures in the Middle East. The Torus design – a gleaming silver oval with an open centre - of the Museum of the Future has been achieved using laser scanning technology and 4D Building Information Modelling (BIM) algorithms, saving substantial time and money during construction. The Museum represents a permanent exhibition displaying various aspects of the future of humanity and the most important technologies that await humans in the coming decades. The museum also represents a global intellectual center of a new kind, and includes five main experiences that take the visitor into the world of the future.

 

Courtesy Dubai Future Foundation

 

THE ORBITAL SPACE STATION - OSS HOPE

The first exhibition, "OSS Hope," transports visitors on a trip to space to test living and performing tasks on board space stations, before returning to Earth 50 years from today, to discover how the world became in 2071 with efforts to restore natural order and sustain the planet.

The space station bears the name "Amal/Hope" to bring back to memory the project "Probe of Hope," which made a unique breakthrough in the history of Arab and global space exploration by reaching the orbit of Mars, becoming the first Arab and fifth world nation to attain this scientific achievement.

The project on the Probe of Hope reflects a lot of metaphors about the vision and strategic vision of the United Arab Emirates and the realization by its good leadership of the importance of space exploration and investment in order to keep pace with accelerated global shifts and support the goals of the State for the next 50 years. The OSS Hope, which is hosted by the Museum of the Future, confirms that promising prospects lie ahead for scientists, researchers and passionate people in the space science sector, carrying more "Hope” for humanity to continue their successful attempts at space exploration, through the new UAE scientific and civilizational icon: The Museum of the Future.

 

THE “REHABILITATION OF NATURE” LABORATORY

The “Rehabilitation of Nature" Laboratory offers a unique experience for visitors to the Museum of the Future. Upon their return from “outer space,” visitors descend to the surface of the Earth and are received by the Laboratory with an environment which employs simulation techniques. The Laboratory allows visitors to conduct several interactive experiments, most notably involving the use of DNA samples for the rehabilitation of fungal organisms.

The Laboratory reflects the priority given by the United Arab Emirates to issues of environmental sustainability and nature protection. The United Arab Emirates was among the first countries to declare its commitment to climate neutrality by 2050. The country also will host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change/COP 28 in Abu Dhabi in 2023.

 

THE “OASIS”

After leaving the “Rehabilitation of Nature" Laboratory, visitors to the Museum of the Future are faced with another unique experience, provided by the “Oasis,” where they discover a world in which they feel comfortable by stimulating their five senses by focusing on the personal level, diving deep inside them, and moving away from the external factors that hold their attention.

 

Courtesy Dubai Future Foundation

 

“HEROES OF THE FUTURE”

Children also have their share of the prestigious museum with the platform "Heroes of the Future," designed for children under the age of 10, aimed at stimulating the minds of young people to explore new things about themselves and the world around them.

The first level includes a range of activities focusing on the six skills they need to discover the future – curiosity, creativity, trust, communication, collaboration and critical thinking – and offers a mix of infinite games and challenges that require problem-solving skills and collaboration.

The Heroes of the Future platform is more than just a place to learn and play. It is a space where the future generation lays the foundation for its future, unleashing its capabilities.

 

THE “FUTURE TODAY”

The "Future Today" exhibition draws more than 50 exhibitors from leading companies, universities, and designers who paint the contours of the future, and provides an overview of what the next ten years can carry.

The exhibition is an occasion to explore the disparate ways in which technology can chart the future and the many and varied solutions it can offer to meet the challenges posed to our planet and our societies at present and in the future and invites visitors to explore the changes that technology imposes on the future.

 

Courtesy Dubai Future Foundation

 

THE CALLIGRAPHER WHO WROTE THE WORDS OF THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE

Emirati artist Matar bin Lahej is the one who excelled in designing Arabic calligraphy for the cursive quotes or writing on the Museum of the Future, which made it appear as an unparalleled masterpiece.

 

THE DESIGNER OF THE FUTURE MUSEUM IN DUBAI

The futuristic Museum in Dubai was designed by local architectural firm Killa Design, which won the design competition for the museum in 2015 and came up with the shape. According to the architect, the solid part of the structure represents the knowledge that we have today. The void represents all that we do not yet know – in other words, the future. Buro Happold Engineering Consulting oversaw its construction.

 

WHAT IS WRITTEN ON THE FAÇADE?

The Arabic calligraphy adorning its exterior will be visible from within. Courtesy Dubai Future Foundation

 

Passersby notice the ornate, Arabic-written words of the Museum of the Future every time they approach it! They ask: What is written on the Museum of the Future? In turn, we can confirm that the words written on the Museum of the Future are three quotes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai about his vision for the city, and they are:

-           “We will not live for hundreds of years, but we can create something that lasts for hundreds of years.”

 

-           “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. It isn’t something you await, but rather create”

 

 

-           “The secret of the renewal of life, the development of civilization and the progress of mankind lies in one word, which is innovation.”

 

DUBAI’S MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE TICKETS

The Museum of the Future offers different tickets to suit all age categories. Here is an overview of the price of tickets for the Museum of the Future, or as some call it the new Sheikh Zayed Road Museum:

 

- AED 145: Adults and children from 3 years and above.

- Free of Charge: Children under 3 years old, disabled persons, and the elderly, 60 years and over.

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