The Gehry Giant Rises: Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Nears Its Opening

It has been one of the most anticipated — and most delayed — museums on earth. First announced back in 2006, the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is now in its final stretch, with officials pointing to an opening on Saadiyat Island in 2026.

When it does open, it will be the largest museum in the global Guggenheim network, anchoring a Cultural District that already includes the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the newly opened Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum.

Gehry, who died in recent years, leaves it as his largest museum project — a tumbling, sculptural complex of galleries and cones designed to hold a sweeping collection of modern and contemporary art from around the world.

Image: “LouvreAD water” — Boubloub, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.