Abu Dhabi's New Arts Hub Takes Shape: Gehry's Final Design Comes to Life

Dar al Funoon, a performing arts complex designed by Frank Gehry, one of his final projects before his death last winter, now has its first public renderings, released by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism.

Construction is already underway on the Marina District site within Saadiyat Island, placing the new venue close to the region’s established and emerging cultural institutions. To the north, the island’s Cultural District houses the still-under-construction Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (also a Gehry design), alongside the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the National History Museum, the forthcoming Zayed National Museum, and teamLab Phenomena. That concentration of facilities reflects Abu Dhabi’s sustained push to develop the island as a destination for arts and learning.

The building will be distinguished by a rippling reflective exterior that responds to its waterfront setting. Inside, the complex serves diverse performance needs through four distinct venues: a 2,000-seat performance hall, a 3,500-seat open-air amphitheater, a 400-seat theater, and a 250-seat jazz club. The design also incorporates retail space, restaurants, and a rooftop terrace. A transparent facade will create visual connections between the street and interior activities, letting passersby catch glimpses of performances as they unfold.

Programming will span opera, ballet, and theater, featuring local, regional, and international artists. The venue is targeted for completion in 2030.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, placed the project within a broader cultural strategy. “Dar al Funoon Abu Dhabi represents our long-term investment in artistic expression and reflects our comprehensive approach to cultural development,” he said. “Through artistic residencies, international partnerships and world-class productions, it will expand opportunities for cultural exchange, inspire new generations of creatives, and further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a global center for creativity, exchange and artistic excellence.”

By clustering multiple institutions and performance spaces on a single island, the development builds infrastructure intended to support both established and emerging artists. Gehry’s design, with its sculptural form and attention to visual permeability, is positioned to function as both working venue and architectural landmark within the growing district.

Whether the 2030 opening can sustain the programming ambitions Al Mubarak described, particularly the artistic residencies and international partnerships, will be the real measure of what Dar al Funoon becomes.