Salone Selection Dubai’s Museum of the Future showcases what’s next for humanity Text by Gaia Lamperti Add to bookmarks Museum of the Future, exhibition, photo Gaia Lamperti A living museum, intended to show how the future will look in the next 50 years, the space now hosts its first global conference on a key theme for our expansion in the digital world Less than a year from the opening, in February 2022, Dubai’s Museum of the Future is hosting its first global conference on one of the key themes that will shape our future: the metaverse. The inaugural Dubai Metaverse Assembly, formally announced by the Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, is set to be held on September 28th - 29th and will feature 300 global experts and 40 institutions specialising in metaverse technologies and applications. We are talking about a global market forecasted to hit about $5 trillion by 2030, according to a McKinsey & Company report. Museum of the Future, interiors, photo Gaia Lamperti The event’s tagline recites: ‘designing a better future for humanity’. And indeed, the UAE – Dubai in particular – has been making a concerted push into what that better future may entail, specifically investing in the digital world, from the metaverse to NFTs and cryptocurrencies. The Museum of the Future itself is a homage to how humanity is evolving and expanding into that digital world. "The Museum of the Future is a living museum, constantly adapting and metamorphosing as its very environment drives continual and iterative change to its exhibits and attractions," said Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation, when the space was inaugurated. The aim of the spaces is indeed to show what humanity can expect for the next decades in the fields of science, technology and innovation, as well as the biggest challenges it should focus on. And, no less relevant, set inside what has been touted ‘the most beautiful building on Earth.’ Museum of the Future, photo Gaia Lamperti A ring-shaped trip into the world of tomorrow Designed by architect Shaun Killa of Killa Design, the building is a remarkable feat of computer-aided design and engineering, conceived as an architectural and cultural icon. It has already become a no-less intrinsic addition to the city’s skyline along with the notorious Burj Khalifa, the world’s highest skyscraper since 2010. Made of stainless steel consisting of 1,024 pieces of art manufactured using robots uniquely able to create the demanding shapes, the Museum of the Future’s facade alone was constructed over 18 months and comprises a complex assembly of four-layer composite material panels, each requiring over 16 process steps. It extends over 17,000sqm and is covered with quotes from poetry by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in elegant calligraphy illuminated by over 14,000m of LED lights. Among the several quotes, one recites: “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it.” Museum of the Future, interior, photo Gaia Lamperti Inside, visitors embark on a journey in five different chapters, one for each floor of the bold torus-shaped architecture, to explore what will be the trends and top priorities for the next era. They’ll join a space expedition 600km above the earth to the OSS Hope space station and a discovery tour of a genetically modified digital Amazon rainforest and its preserved biodiversity; they’ll get a preview of what will be the latest innovation to heal mind and body and walk around a floor celebrating some of the most avant-guard technologies in transportation, clothing, energy production and health monitoring. The last stop is entirely dedicated to a stimulating play space for the heroes of the future: kids. Among the experiences catapulting visitors into the future are a real space shuttle take-off simulation, filing your application for a role in an outer space mission, visiting a laboratory that rectifies the after-effect of climate change and testing a scanner that offers a 360° health check-up. Museum of the Future, exhibition, photo Gaia Lamperti Learnings for the next 50 years With a variety of virtual and augmented reality, big data analysis, artificial intelligence, and human-machine interaction installations and displays, the museum symbolises our understanding of how the future will look in the next 50 years. And that is because, as one of the Al Maktoum quotes says, only if we can imagine the future and put it into some form of design we will truly own it and shape it for the better. This outstanding addition to the city of Dubai wants to act as a call to the youth, to be ambitious in their pursuit of future endeavours, dreams and aspirations. The kickstart of events of this scale at the Museum of Future, such as the Dubai Metaverse Assembly, anticipates that its floors will not only be a space of discovery and imagination, but a workshop to continue actively debating about the possibilities the future present with global communities. “Emirati talents have contributed significantly to the Museum of the Future. Meanwhile, their future role in activating and operating this global knowledge hub is essential,” added Al Gergawi when commenting on the Emirati contribution to designing, building and managing the first museum of its kind. “It is a message of hope, optimism and positivity for a better future for humanity.”
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