$1 Billion Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Finally Gets an Opening Date
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a Frank Gehry–designed museum whose contract reportedly grew to $1 billion, has set its opening for December 11, keeping it on track for a 2026 debut after being announced in 2006. Construction began in 2011, was suspended, and restarted in 2019; a 2026 completion target was reiterated in 2021. The building features nine metallic cones designed to aid natural ventilation, with outdoor exhibition areas totaling about 250,000 square feet and 30 indoor galleries spanning roughly 125,000 square feet around a central atrium. The collection includes modern and contemporary art, with works by artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Dan Flavin, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, and Bharti Kher cited in a 2014 preview show; Guggenheim Foundation director and CEO Mariët Westermann described it as “uniquely local and global.” The museum will open in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District alongside institutions including Louvre Abu Dhabi, and its timing will not coincide with the first Frieze Abu Dhabi (scheduled for November 19–22, 2026).
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This story was covered in Bias Warnings, Billion-Dollar Openings, and Museum Heists