Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi / Mecanoo
The concept for the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is rooted in the meeting of water and earth, recognizing this ever-changing boundary as a place of origin, movement and transformation. Rather than designing a singular architectural object, the museum is conceived as a landscape shaped by natural forces, where architecture and terrain become inseparable. Inspired by the geological formations and wadis of the region, the building emerges from the landscape as a series of sculpted volumes shaped by time, allowing the experience of natural history to begin before visitors enter the museum itself.