Dubai’s long-awaited Museum of the Future finally has a launch date, with the state-of-the-art attraction set to open to the public on February 22, 2022.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the news on Twitter. He described the Museum of the Future as “the most beautiful building on earth”.
Spanning an area of 30,000 square metres and featuring a stainless steel façade, the venue will include a research centre with labs and classrooms, as well as space to showcase new technologies.
These include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), big data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) and human-machine interaction. Visitors will also learn about the future of space travel and living, climate change and ecology, and health and wellness.
Showcasing new technologies in Dubai
The Museum of the Future will be powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy. This will be produced by a station connected to the building. Additionally, a surrounding park boasts 80 species of plants.
The museum will merge exhibitions, immersive theatre and themed attractions, according to the website. Each floor is “like a film set from a future that you can inhabit, explore and interact with”.
“When they hear ‘Museum of the Future’, a lot of people envision robots, flying cars and shiny gadgets,” director Lath Carlson told blooloop. “But that’s not really what we’re about.”
“Some of those things are fantastic and creative and innovative,” Carlson added. “If they address a big challenge like climate change, we want to show them off.”
“Really, though, it is about the storytelling, and how we effectively deploy technology in the service of storytelling. The latest and greatest technology doesn’t last very long. However, if you focus on the underlying storytelling, that is timeless.”
Images: Museum of the Future
