Etihad Museum, Museum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Etihad Museum in Dubai is designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects in the shape of a manuscript, with seven columns representing the pens used to sign the 1971 declaration. Its curved roof is clad in light rectangular panels, and a glass curtain wall reveals a yellow interior with dark columns. The complex includes the Union House and eight permanent pavilions.
The museum occupies the Union House, formerly al-Diyafah Palace and the Jumeirah Guesthouse, where the founding rulers signed the declaration forming the UAE on 2 December 1971 and the first UAE flag was raised. The complex opened in 2017 and was designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects as a manuscript, with seven columns standing for the pens used to sign the declaration.
The museum's name, Etihad, is the Arabic word for union, and the site was long known as Dar al-Ittihad, the Union House. Inside, a glass-roofed garden displays portraits of the rulers and a tree planted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2012. A large wall painting by Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al Rais hangs in one of the galleries.
The museum stands on Jumeirah Street at the site of the former Union House, not on Jumeirah Beach Road. The complex is underground, reached by stairs and lifts, and a wheelchair ramp runs from the street to the building. Wide, level paths and long ramps serve some display areas.
Seven columns built into the museum represent the pens used to sign the original declaration, and the building was designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects in the shape of a manuscript. The complex also holds the Union House, where the declaration was signed in 1971.
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