Louvre Abu Dhabi

Designed by Jean Nouvel and opened in 2017 on Saadiyat Island, this universal museum occupies a cluster of low white buildings beneath a vast perforated dome 180 metres in diameter. The dome's geometric lattice creates a shifting pattern of light and shadow inside — an effect Nouvel called a 'rain of light' — that transforms throughout the day. The collection spans human civilisations chronologically, from prehistoric artefacts to contemporary works, drawing on loans from French national institutions.