Egis, an international player active in architecture, consulting, construction engineering sectors, has announced that it had played a major role as lead design consultant and construction supervisor for the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, one of the most technically complex cultural institutions delivered in the Middle East to date.
Located in the Saadiyat Cultural District, adjacent to Louvre Abu Dhabi, the museum officially opened to the public late 2025. Spanning more than 35,000 sq m across two principal buildings connected by a landscaped pedestrian wadi, the project combines dynamic exhibition environments, research facilities, public education spaces, and an immersive theatre experience within a carefully controlled and protected waterfront site, said the company in a statement.
The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi forms a key component of the emirate’s Cultural District world-renowned for advancing education, scientific research, and global knowledge exchange.
Egis was signed up for the project in March 2021 at schematic design stage, with responsibility for translating an internationally noteworthy architectural concept into a fully co-ordinated, buildable and operationally robust facility, it stated.
The consultant remained engaged through detailed exhibition design, authority approvals, construction supervision and final delivery.
As the lead design consultant, Egis assumed full responsibility for coordinating a comprehensive multidisciplinary scope, including exhibition design, architect of record services, structural and civil engineering, building services (MEP, AVIT and security), façade and access systems, fire and life safety, acoustics, infrastructure, marine and coastal engineering, environmental consultancy, and on-site construction supervision.
Lauding its role, Pavel Pascu, Acting Exhibition Production Unit Head at Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, said: "The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is one of the most complex cultural projects delivered in the region, bringing together research, education, and immersive public experiences. Working with Egis has been key to realising this vision, ensuring the museum’s architectural ambition is matched by rigorous design coordination and operational excellence."
Dr Ali Amiri, Buildings Director, Egis Group, said: "Projects of this scale and visibility succeed on seamless programme management and integration. Our role was just that - to bring architecture, engineering, immersive content, and construction delivery into a single, coordinated system."
"From schematic design through opening, we worked closely with our partners to ensure that complexity was managed without diluting design intent, visitor experience, or operational resilience," explained Al Amiri.
Sustainability and operational efficiency, he stated, were embedded throughout the design approach, with energy-efficient systems, environmentally responsible materials, and green building certification requirements incorporated to support long-term performance.
Moreover, the project required advanced engineering solutions to support sensitive exhibition environments, immersive digital installations, long-span spaces, and long-term operational resilience, he noted.
Egis applied rigorous technical analysis, digital co-ordination, and performance-led design methodologies to resolve these challenges while maintaining the architectural integrity of Mecanoo’s concept, developed under the design theme of “Architecture as Landscape.”
The successful delivery of Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi reinforces Egis’ position as a trusted partner for governments and developers undertaking complex, high-visibility cultural and civic projects, including the recently completed Red Sea Museum in Saudi Arabia and the Palestine Museum, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
