French ambassador to the UAE Ludovic Pouille has given his Twitter followers a rare glimpse inside the upcoming Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Pouille shared photos of the interior of the under construction art museum, designed by Jean Nouvel and officially started in 2009. The domed structure is the lynchpin of a £18bn complex on the eastern rim of Saadiyat Island that aims to turn the UAE into the art capital of the Middle East – but the 97,000 sq m building has been beset by delays.

Works now appear to be moving forward, however.

Amazed by progress made by great teams working 24/7 on the @LouvreAbuDhabi 1st Universal Museum of the Century! Opening soon! @FranceEmirats pic.twitter.com/1FF4HM1tIU

— Ludovic Pouille (@ludovic_pouille) August 21, 2017

The ambassador’s images capture the building’s 7,000 tonne dome, which houses the museum’s gallery spaces, as well as its amphitheatre-like concrete beach, and temporary exhibition hall, which will host travelling shows.

Louvre Abu Dhabi’s opening date is yet to be announced and its interiors still look they need a bit of work – but the official word is that the museum will open later this year.

[Via The National]

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