Final position for Louvre’s 7,000 tonne dome

The 7,000-tonne dome for the Louvre Abu Dhabi has been placed in its permanent position, the Tourism Development and Investment Company has said.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s 7,000-tonne dome has been placed into its final position atop four piers. Silvia Razgova / The National

ABU DHABI // The Louvre Abu Dhabi's 7,000-tonne dome has been placed into its final position atop four piers.
The process is a first of its kind in construction, the developer behind the museum, the Tourism Development and Investment Company, said on Sunday.
The 180-metre-wide dome, completed in October, was lifted off temporary towers and lowered 38cm to its permanent place, following months of testing in California to prove the piers could support the dome's weight.
The lift involved 32 hydraulic jacks, used to lift and place heavy objects, that can hold weights of up to 10,000 tonnes. The dome was built in 10 months on top of 120 temporary towers.
Ali Majed Al Mansoori, chairman of the TDIC board, said the company was proud of the Louvre Abu Dhabi milestones.
"We applaud the dedication and hard work of the teams working together to achieve this unprecedented work that reflects the best of the worlds of architecture, engineering and construction today," Mr Al Mansoori said.
The dome's construction is among the specialist projects Austrian steel engineering firm Waagner-Biro Stahlbau has undertaken, said Johann Sischka, a board member of the company.
"It is remarkable in its design and size, and given that it must be placed in precise spots on its four piers, there was no room for error," he said.
The museum was designed by architect Jean Nouvel and will have 9,200 square metres of art galleries. Construction is scheduled to be completed next year.
[e-mail]