TOURISM Development and Investment Company (TDIC) said it has completed the construction of the first gallery of Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is set for completion by the fourth quarter 2015.

The first completed gallery, which is one of the largest within the permanent galleries, comes a year after mobilisation had started on the ground.

With a transparent glass roof that allows natural light, visitors of Louvre Abu Dhabi will feel the “rain of light” effect across most of its galleries, which comes as a result of the interlaced steel cladding dome of the museum. A significant amount of work is well under way for the construction of the museum’s interior walls, along with the installation of mechanical plant, water pipes, electrical cabling and security systems.

With more than 5,300 workers on site to date and around 117,000 cu m of concrete poured so far, the construction work on the galleries is progressing in parallel with the installation of the museum’s prominent dome which features 85 steel segments that weigh between 30 and 70 tonnes each.

To date, 20 per cent of the dome’s structure has been put in place, with the completion of the full structural steel frame set for September this year.

“We’re happy with where we are today. To date, more than 10 million man hours have been dedicated to Louvre Abu Dhabi reflecting the amount of foundation work that the museum requires,” said Ali Al Hammadi, deputy managing director of TDIC, master developer of major tourism, cultural and residential destinations in Abu Dhabi.

“Despite the challenging and complicated design, construction on the ground has been progressing steadily and on schedule. Over the course of one year, we’ve moved from construction at a 7-m depth to above ground construction of the galleries.”

The majority of the concrete work for the museum’s basement levels has been completed, including underground buildings, such as the energy centre that houses pumps, generators, transformers, and similar building elements and the security screening facility, a highly secure 7-m-deep basement through which authorised vehicles will transport all the artwork for the museum.

Designed by Pritzker-Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will encompass 9,200 sq m of art galleries. The 6,681-sq-m permanent gallery will house the museum’s permanent collection taking the visitor through a journey from the most ancient to contemporary art works. The temporary gallery will be a dedicated space of 2,364 sq m presenting temporary exhibitions of international standards.