Louvre Abu Dhabi: A Desert Gem

Ten years after the signing of the contract between France and the Emirates, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has opened at last. This project has certainly seen a few storms, in every sense of the word. Even at the opening, controversial mutterings could still be heard in the background. But they fell silent at the sight of Jean Nouvel’s impressive architecture and magnificent exhibition rooms. This unique complex of 55 buildings is imbued with light and intelligence and is undoubtedly one of the architect’s masterpieces. By day, reflections from the pools and the mirrors on Giuseppe Penone's bronze cherry tree dance over the white walls. By night, from the outside, under lighting which visitors will not have seen over the first few days, the dome resembles a saucer floating above the sand (one drawback, however, is that the grey color of the dome weighs down the aesthetic: in the computer-generated images, it was a pristine white). This time, on this little desert island, Jean Nouvel had the means – the space, the time, and undoubtedly the money – he needed for his project. At the opening,…