Learn About the Museum of the Future In Dubai - 'The Most Beautiful Building in the World'
Standing high over Dubai's driverless metro system stands an architectural marvel, praised as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world - the Museum of the Future. The seven-storeyed, pillarless building that is resting atop a lawn-like hill, with an elliptical, hollow structure, has an enormous exterior built using steel. As you step into the museum, you will be welcomed by a gigantic chamber, where the sun rays flowing from the Arabic calligraphy engraved in the facade create a fusion of light. Dynamic, innovative, and bright, a visit to the museum will leave you with some beautiful memories.
Museum of the Future | Quick Facts
- Official name: Museum of the Future
- Location: Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre, Trade Centre 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Announcement: 4 March 2015.
- Date of opening: 22 February 2022
- Features: 7 story exhibition space, 3 podium levels, a 420 seat auditorium, cafeteria, lobby, etc.
- Design Fact: Stainless steel face engraved with Arabic calligraphy.
- Awards: Tekla International Building Award, 'Most beautiful building' title from National Geographic, etc.
What is Museum of the Future?
The Museum of the Future or MOTF, one of the cultural wonders of Dubai, is an exhibition space to showcase the ideologies of the future. A true symbol of innovation and the future, this museum offers a range of experiences that could take you on a ride to the future.
With the motto 'See the future, create the future,’ the museum applies modern technology to the traditional art forms to project Dubai’s desire to become a modern city. The museum has three main parts — the elliptical-shaped building, which represents humanity; the green hill-like mound, which represents the earth; and the void, which represents the unknown future that lies ahead.
Book Tickets to Museum of the FutureWhy is Museum of the Future So Famous?
- An initiative by Dubai Future Foundation or DFF, the MOTF is unique from other museums around the world. The museum uses virtual reality, Augmented reality, and other modern technologies to help you take a peek at the future.
- The building is LEED-certified, and it is one of the city's low-carbon structures.
- The panels of the museum have Arabic calligraphy engraved on them, which creates a glow inside the museum. The words for the calligraphy were taken from the poems of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed.
- Inside the museum, you’ll get a chance to question the future of human beings and nature as a whole.
How to Visit Museum Of The Future? Book Tickets Online
History of the Museum of the Future
The plans to establish the museum were announced in 2015 by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of UAE and the ruler of Dubai.
On 7th February 2016, he inaugurated the MOTF exhibition during the World Government Summit. Later, in April the same year, he launched the Dubai Future Foundation, and the museum became a part of this. The museum was temporarily opened in Madinat Jumeirah in 2017 and 2018 as a part of the World Government Summits.
After these temporary openings and launches, the museum's official opening ceremony was finally conducted on 22nd February 2022.
Museum of the Future Design & Architecture
The exterior and interior of the building are designed to make anyone go awe-struck! With a pillar-less structure, stainless steel exteriors, and calligraphy panels, the completion of the building required the designers to push all the boundaries of architecture. The building has an elliptical structure, and the facade of the building has beautiful windows where the poems of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed are engraved in Arabic calligraphy. To give life to the design that Killa designs created, Buro Happold and the design firm developed new parametric modeling tools, such as the growth algorithm, which is used to grow the steel structure digitally. The framework of the building, known as a diagrid, has around 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members, and it took the engineers around 14 months to complete the steelwork.
Museum of the Future Architecture & DesignWhat Does the Museum of the Future Calligraphy Mean?
One of the most attractive features of the building is the Arabic calligraphy engraved on its facade. It is designed by Mattar bin Lahej, a renowned Emirati artist. Interestingly, these inspiring Arabic words are taken from poems written by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
These poems are his visions of the future, and hence, there are no better words other than these poems that can reflect the museum's aim. The words written there roughly translate to “We won't live for hundreds of years, but we can create something that will last for hundreds of years.”
What are the Sustainability Solutions Showcased at the Museum of the Future?
With its focus on sustainability, the Museum Of The Future has dedicated one of its floors to the cause of climate change and its effects on global warming. It explores the possibility of the collection of solar energy in space and asteroid mining.
Its design and functionality also echo similar sensibilities. Museum Of The Future has a low-carbon building with innovations and strategies involving a parametric design and a passive solar architecture to recover energy and water. The building also has a smart irrigation system for optimum water usage and to minimize water wastage. Besides, the building will have greywater recycling systems, building control solutions, and regenerative drive lifts, and the power needed for the same will be sourced from photovoltaic solar arrays. The calligraphy on the exterior acts as windows to allow sunlight to seep in.
What’s Inside the Museum of the Future?
The MOTF, across its seven floors and five chapters, offers a wide range of experiences to visitors. Find out what's inside Museum Of The Future.
OSS Hope
A visit to the museum helps you experience what living in outer space is like. It has a spaceship named Hope, with screens resembling the windows showing breathtaking views while lifting off. As you start the trip to space, you will enjoy the aerial views of Dubai's iconic attractions. Before moving closer to space, you’ll see our planet's atmosphere and other objects in space. The four-minute journey ends at the Orbital Space Station or OSS, which is situated on the 5th floor of the building and depicts a station that is 600 km above our planet. Find out the technological discoveries and OSS missions at the station's command centers.
Heal Institute
Spread across the 4th floor, get a chance to learn about nature and the natural ecosystem in a deeper way. Here, a large screen plays a video clip shot from the real rainforests of the Amazon. Through this, the museum is trying to educate the visitors about the climate change resulting from deforestation and global warming. The DNA Library, a part of the Heal institute, provides visitors with insights about different species in nature. It showcases more than 2400 varieties of species in glass cases, including angiosperms, mammals, and more. In this exhibition, you’ll be given a device to collect any species to understand whether it is endangered or not.
Al Waha
Located on the 3rd floor, Al Waha is a futuristic spa where visitors can immerse themselves in meditation and enjoy a digital detox. In the spa, you’ll be greeted with a vapor that pours from a structure similar to a fountain. Besides, the exhibit will also help you reconnect with your mind, soul, and other human senses by providing you with some soothing experiences using virtual reality.
Tomorrow Today
Explore the 2nd floor if you want to take a ride through technological developments to understand how the researchers and designers are handling the present challenges. Learn how to tackle the cultural, environmental, political, and social issues to ensure the earth has a positive future through the technological knowledge you have.
Future Heroes
Future Heroes is a dedicated space for the kids on Floor 1 where kids get a chance to explore and discover a futuristic world. However, instead of a playground, the building has an imaginary lab where the children can build and hone the skills that will help them imagine and design their future. The display also aims to promote a future-like environment and focus on problem-solving skills in children.
Frequently Asked Questions About Museum of the Future Dubai
A. The Museum of The Future is an exhibition space to showcase the innovations and other products that will shape the future. Unlike other museums, MOTF is a living museum where the exhibit contents are renewed based on the development in the technological sector.
A. The Museum of The Future is famous for its beautiful design as well as the inside attractions that show the visitors how the world, especially Dubai, will be 50 years from now.
A. A visit to this museum doesn’t take you to the past, as museums usually do. Rather it will show how the future is going to be, through the exhibits, virtual reality, and products showcased there.
A. It is important to book your Museum Of The Future tickets in advance to enjoy a hassle-free experience. The best way to get your Museum Of The Future tickets is by booking them online.
A. There are multiple Museum Of The Future tickets available online, starting from AED 145. For more information, please check the ticket details before purchasing.
A. It is located in UAE, in Sheikh Zayed Road, near the Emirates Towers area. It looms over Dubai's famous driverless metro system.
A. It is an initiative under DFF (Dubai Future Foundation). It was built by the BuroHappold Engineering firm of the UK.
A. Killa designs, a local architecture firm in Dubai designed the Museum Of The Future.
A. The Museum Of The Future was opened after its grand opening ceremony on 22 February 2022.
A. The Museum Of The Future encases several exhibitions of visions and innovations of the future. The exhibits in the museum, such as the space station, and Al Waha, take you to a future world.
A. The museum is open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily.
A. The Museum Of The Future or MOTF is a living museum. Hence the exhibits are continuously renewed based on technological advancements. A visit to this place will make you think about the problems we face in the present day and how we can rectify it with the help of technology in the future.
A. The calligraphy words are taken from the poems written by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of Dubai. The words roughly translate to “We won't live for hundreds of years, but we can create something that will last for hundreds of years.”
A. Yes, the Museum Of The Future is worth visiting as it gives you an insight into the future and visitors get to spend an amazing time.
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