AS EMMANUEL MACRON and Muhammad bin Zayed, the president of France and the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), walked towards the Louvre Abu Dhabi (LAD) for its grand opening on November 8th, their eyes were fixed on the magnificent silvery domed roof—as heavy as the Eiffel Tower—that appears to float above the galleries. They might more usefully have gazed down at the floor.
For there, in the entrance, is a map of the UAE’s coastline. All along the shore, listed as if they were ports on an old parchment, are the names of towns around the world that manufactured the hundreds of objects on display inside. Each one is spelled out in its own language; 26 in all. There is Greek, Spanish, German, Chinese, Russian and Arabic. There is even one in Hebrew, for Qa al-Yahud, the old Jewish quarter in Sana’a, Yemen, where the LAD’s medieval Torah was made.
Designed by Jean Nouvel, the building is a triumph. A...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2m7Mb78
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