Location: Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Architect: Dabbagh Architects.

The Al Ain Museum in Abu Dhabi is set to undergo a redevelopment that will showcase the region’s heritage and continue the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed. The site contains two historically significant structures, the mud-brick building of Sultan Fort and the Al Ain National Museum, which was built in 1971 to showcase the history of Al Ain. Over the past 40 years, several smaller structures were added to the site, creating a barrier between the Al Ain Oasis and the other elements. The new design aims to bring back the human scale of the historic fabric of “Harat Al Hosn” by incorporating the originality of this early form with a modern adaptation. The new design is comprised of a series of small closely-knit buildings distributed across the ground floor, with the majority of the museum’s facilities located underground. The lower level houses various exhibition spaces, a library, conservation labs and workshop areas, as well as administrative offices. The carefully designed landscape uses a similar material palette as the built volumes to establish a connection between the existing site, the Oasis and the new museum. The project aims to achieve a 2 Pearl Estidama rating by incorporating sustainable strategies, which include the use of locally sourced materials, energy and water conservation, as well as provision of comfortable indoor and outdoor environments. With the design phase recently completed, construction is scheduled to start in Q3 2019 and be completed by Q4 2020.