Dubbed “The Most Beautiful Building on Earth,” the Museum of the Future in Dubai is truly spectacular. The architecturally fascinating building, covered with poetic Arabic calligraphy, aims to transport its visitors to the year 2071. In fact, the museum is set to inspire discussions about the technological and scientific advancements humans might achieve.

The Museum of the Future takes you to 2071

Most traditional museums exhibit artifacts from past history. However, the Museum of the Future in Dubai is something quite different and brand new. According to the museum, its halls will encourage visitors to use their five senses, while exploring interactive exhibits. Here, visitors can imagine what vast technological advancement the future might hold.

The museum is housed in a futuristic building that looks like something from one of the best science fiction movies. However, inside, along with its permanent exhibits, the museum plans to bring leading scientists to the building.

The plan is to “position Dubai as a testbed for emerging technologies and an exploration base for talents, inventors and creative professionals from all over the world to unravel the greatest challenges that will shape the future of humanity.”

Exhibits in the Museum of the Future

The Dubai museum took nine years to construct, along with millions of dollars. Meanwhile, the permanent exhibits here explore what advancements humans might achieve in science and technology almost 50 years from now.

One exhibit allows visitors to venture into a space station, 600 miles above the earth. Here, they can imagine how the moon could be transformed to provide renewable energy for the earth.

In another exhibit, visitors can walk through a digitally recreated Amazon rainforest. Here, they will be able to observe various species and see parts of the forest they might never see in person.

The Museum of the Future is also set to encourage children by offering them a dedicated section called Future Heroes. The exhibit is modeled after video games where children can become players. They will be tasked to solve problems in order to conquer challenges while collecting badges for their efforts.

The museum can become overwhelming with its exhibits dedicated to technological advancement. For this reason, one area of the museum serves as a sanctuary, allowing visitors to “disconnect from technology and reconnect with mind, body and spirit.”

Architecture of the museum

The striking museum is constructed of stainless steel and glass and is an engineering marvel in and of itself. The building also adds to the already modern and fascinating Dubai skyline. Meanwhile, every part of the building’s design is an example of the type of scientific innovation it is set to inspire.

The building is round in shape and hollow in the center and is meant to resemble a human eye looking to the future. The exterior consists of 1,024 separate panels, which is the same number of bytes in a kilobyte, the basic unit of digital storage.

Each panel was crafted with 14,000 meters of beautiful Arabic script. Appropriately, the beautiful calligraphy represents three poetic quotes from the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

To get an idea of the quotes, one reads, “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it and execute it. It isn’t something you await, but rather create.”

Visiting the museum

The Museum of the Future opens daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets for a timed entry must be booked in advance online here. The cost to enter is 145 AED (US$40) for adults and children aged three and up. Meanwhile, children under the age of three can enter free of charge.

Readers can enjoy a look at the museum in the video included here. A preview is also offered on the official website of the Museum of the Future here.