The Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, unveiled his plans March 3rd for a “Museum of the Future,” and a lot of it is going to be 3D printed.
In what is slated as a 500 million dollar cutting edge design the size of which the world has never seen before, Sheikh Mohammed’s plans will incorporate
“Innovation labs and a permanent exhibit for future inventions. Museum of the Future is [an] integrated environment empowering creative minds to test, fund, and market ideas for futuristic prototypes and services. It will offer advanced courses and specialized workshops, a destination for the best and brightest inventors and entrepreneurs” – Sheikh Mohammed
In addition, a large majority of the building’s exterior is set to be constructed using 3D printing technology. Designed in a great shape of an omnipresent oval, the cladding of the entire structure will be etched into with Sheikh Mohammed’s poetry describing his vision of the future. The cladding is also going to be a major undertaking of complete 3D printed technology, while the middle of the oval has been designed to play a massive hologram in the empty space.
The museum’s motto, “See the future, create the future,” is a testament to the country’s strides towards true innovation and implementation. And as opposed to just displaying exhibits or publishing reports, Sheik Mohammed is committed to creating and sustaining an environment that will encompass health, education, smart cities, energy, transport, and an overall move towards transformative technologies.
Designed by architect Shaun Killa, of Killa Partnership, the unconventional ring shape of the museum is said to symbolize what we already know of the future today, while the void in the middle represents what we do not know about the future and the possibility for new discoveries.
The museum will also play host to a variety of different scientific conferences in addition to holding in-depth courses and workshops on design and innovation. It will also feature a permanent gallery highlighting the greatest global advancements in technology. Little else is known regarding the ambitious project, including how much more of it is scheduled to be constructed using 3D printed technology. Sheikh Mohammed has announced a projected finish date, however, of 2017; which would put Museum of the Future at a mere two years in the making.
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