Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on hold
Emirate cancels construction contracts for Gehry-designed museum
By Georgina Adam | Web only
Published online 24 Oct 11 (Museums)
ABU DHABI. Construction of the vast, 24,000 sq. m Guggenheim museum planned for Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi has been put on hold after the emirate decided to recall the tender for the concrete works. The museum, designed by the US architect Frank Gehry, is one of four new institutions planned for a cultural district on the island.
The Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) has told the 11 contractors who submitted bids that it is returning the money—AED20,000 ($5,444)—they paid as part of the tender process. According to the online Middle Eastern business site MEED, the contractors—from as far afield as South Africa, South Korea and Canada—submitted bids for the AED400m (£68m) package in March this year. The museum was originally aiming for a 2013 opening, but recently this date was revised to 2015, according to a spokeswoman for TDIC. The company also said that the work will be retendered at a future date.
