Phase I of Union Museum Building Project begins
RTA chairman says Phase I to be completed by the middle of 2014
Construction works on Phase I of the Union Museum Building Project have begun, the chairman of the Board and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has said.
Mattar Al Tayer said that the project will be constructed beside the Union House, which was the location that saw the signing of the constituent document of the UAE, and the home of the second biggest UAE flag, which measures 20 metres by 40 metres, and flies 120 metres above the ground.
“Construction works of Phase I of the Project comprise preparing the site, shifting and protecting artefacts and exhibits in the onsite buildings, constructing a six-metre high boundary wall, demolishing the aging buildings at site, inspecting and treating the soil, and shifting the utility lines,” he said.
“The construction firm started site works last week and Phase I of the project is set for completion by the mid of this year. Afterwards the RTA will award the contract of the main building of the Museum; which will be a beacon and a monument narrating the full story of the federation, the formation of the United Arab Emirates, and futuristic drive of this blessed country,” added Al Tayer.
“The Union Museum building consists of 5 divisions; the first one highlights the story of the region and the life patterns of population in various (desert, coastal and hilly) terrains in the pre-federation era,” he explained further.
The project’s second division will spotlight the precise details of forming the UAE federation through screening documents, speeches and meetings culminated in the signing of the constituent document of establishing the federation, and this division houses a giant hall designated for hologram shows (3D images).
The third division depicts the renaissance era along with the human, urban and economic developments and achievements made by the UAE. The fourth division is the Pearl Hall, which is dedicated to official meetings and functions and the fifth division is a festivities yard comprising of an outdoor theatre with a capacity of 500 persons, where sound, light and water-themed performances can be staged.
The Union Museum aims to reinvigorate the historical value of the site and the building that witnessed the signing and the announcing the establishment of the UAE, and converting the present building into a museum that acts as a radiation hub for citizens, residents and tourists to know more about phases and challenges of establishing the federation together with the achievements made throughout this period.
The project also aims to instil and disseminate the concept and value of the federation in the eyes of citizens and future generations, document the evolution phases of the federation with emphasis on the role of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum in laying the building blocks of the federation.
“It looks to familiarise visitors with the lifestyle of residents of the Emirates before the formation of the federation (i.e.: the culture of Bedouin and seafarers), and spotlighting the sweeping development and key achievements made through the blessed history of the UAE,” said the RTA chairman and executive director, in a final remark.
