Modern Middle East: Part iv, Maritime Museum by Tadao Ando

Water.  Light.  Simple.  Modern.  Serene. Tadao Ando.  His architecture speaks volumes so quietly.  I am a huge fan of Ando, I happen to be a huge fan of Japan and Japanese architecture and design as well, so it helps that he is, well, Japanese.  There is something about the way he achieves ‘modern’ seamlessly and effortlessly.  Tadao Ando is designing the Maritime Museum on Saadiyat Island, where Ando takes into consideration the nature, landscape and the maritime traditions of Abu Dhabi in developing this fluid, architectural volume.

"With it’s reflective surface, the water court visually merges site and sea…the volume shaped by the force and fluidity of Abu Dhabi’s winds."  Housing an interior like that of a boat, with floating decks and ramps, visitors will be guided "through the exhibition space, echoing the theme of the museum and creating a dynamic gallery experience.  Dhows float over the voids of the interior space and help create an intense visual experience by relating objects to one another and to the museum architecture as a whole."  The museum almost resembles a gate into the water from the island, an intentional move Ando was attempting to achieve by "defining a space of encounter between two important landscape elements of Abu Dhabi’s culture."