Louvre Abu Dhabi, the first museum to be built at the Saadiyat Cultural District in the UAE capital, achieved a major construction milestone when the final piece of outer cladding for the museum’s iconic dome was put in place.

The installation of the outer cladding comes after more than 30 million man hours on site.

The milestone was witnessed by Ali Majed Al Mansoori, the chairman of the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), a master developer of major tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi, and the museum’s architect Jean Nouvel as well as TDIC’s chief executive officer Sufian Hasan Al Marzooqi.

This piece is part of the dome’s pattern, which is made up of eight layers of cladding - four outer and four inner - with the dome’s structure in between, said a statement from TDIC.

These layers consist of 7,850 star-shaped pieces of aluminium and stainless steel, of various sizes and angles - the largest of which measures 13 m in diameter and weighs 1.3 tonnes, it stated.

The outer cladding consists of 4,481 stars which is now 100 per cent complete and installed, it added.

According to TDIC, the major works are expected to start in the next few months including laying of the museum's stone flooring, installation of the display cases for the galleries and the completion of the administration building.

“We are very proud of the progress that has been achieved on the site of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and it is remarkable to see Jean Nouvel’s design come to life,” remarked Al Mansoori.

"Almost a year-and-a-half ago the construction team was placing the first super-sized element of the dome structure, and now we are completing the outer dome cladding. This is testament to the advanced techniques used to execute one of the museum’s most challenging architectural features," he stated.

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s construction was awarded to a joint venture between Arabtec, Constructora San Jose, and Oger Abu Dhabi, in 2013.

Once completed, it will feature permanent galleries, a temporary gallery, a children’s museum and an auditorium.-TradeArabia News Service