The long-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, is set to open its doors in December.
In a statement released today, Abu Dhabi's department of culture and tourism said the museum will open on Saadiyat Island on 11 December 2026, officially becoming the largest of the four Guggenheim outposts.
It is currently under construction in the island's cultural district, for which Gehry also designed the recently revealed Dar al Funoon Abu Dhabi performing arts venue.
Photos reveal building's clashing forms
"Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open its doors on 11 December 2026, further strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a leading global capital for the arts," read the department's statement.
"Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a museum of modern and contemporary art and will be a space for encounter and exchange, promoting a more connected and diverse global community through art."
Plans for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi were first revealed in 2006, with construction beginning in 2011. Works were then suspended for several years, before restarting in 2019.
The building will be distinguished by its giant clashing forms, revealed in a new set of photos released today. These will contain galleries of varying heights and styles.
Alongside these galleries will be a centre for art and technology, as well as children's facilities, archives, a library and a conservation laboratory.
Once open, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be operated by the Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation and Abu Dhabi's department of culture and tourism.
Gehry found project "truly thrilling"
In 2021, it was revealed that the museum was scheduled for completion in 2025. At the time, Gehry described the project as "truly thrilling".
"I hope that this building is embraced by the people of the UAE and that this work will endure as a landmark for the country for many years to come," he said.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's completion will follow the recent openings of other landmark cultural institutions on the island, including Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017 and Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners in December 2025.
At 42,000 square metres, it will overtake Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in size.
Other landmark buildings by Gehry, who passed away in December, include Walt Disney Concert Hall and Luna Arles.
The photos are courtesy of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.