Future Cities Forum's international museums award category
- Heather Fearfield
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Future Cities Forum is including an 'International museums' category in its Winter 2026 awards. The nominated projects are: Zayed National Museum, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi, PoMo Museum, Trondheim, Norway and Studio Museum, Harlem, New York.
Zayed National Museum, Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
Located at the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, the new national museum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) traces the history of the Emirates, from the earliest evidence of human habitation to the civilisations that shaped its culture and identity, rooted in the values of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The building’s form addresses the challenge of sustaining life in a desert environment and the strong cultural traditions of the UAE.
Foster + Partners says:
'The museum’s five lightweight steel wings are part of the system of natural ventilation. Air vents open at the top of the towers, taking advantage of the negative pressure on the lee-side of the profile to draw hot air out from the atrium, assisted by the thermal effect of the heat build-up on the tips of the wings. Air that has been naturally cooled through pipes buried deep below the desert floor then flows into the atrium through a low-level ventilation system. The wings are glazed to channel natural light into the galleries below, and each one is individually tuneable.
'The museum spaces are located within a mound, which has textured faceted panels that are an abstraction of the UAE’s topography. The mound insulates the interior spaces from solar gain, forming a protective shield that prevents heat from entering the building. When visitors step inside the museum, they enter the light-filled atrium, or Al Liwan, which serves as both a meeting and orientation space, hosting performances such as traditional dance and poetry.
'Of the six permanent galleries, four pod-shaped galleries are suspended above Al Liwan, and provide controlled environments to protect the sensitive artefacts on display. The towers’ triple-laminated glazing moderates the amount of daylight entering the lobby and the gallery spaces. The glazing includes a dense mesh interlayer, and each pod has a rooflight made of electrochromic glass that changes its transparency in response to outside light levels.
'Each of the pod-shaped galleries is curated to reflect a specific theme, while the connecting nodal spaces provide contextual information that tie them together. Visitors can choose their own route through the different galleries and make their way to the upper level via a sculptural spiral staircase or lifts. At ground level, there are also two more permanent gallery spaces that are near to the museum’s entrances, as well as a temporary exhibition space, a fine dining restaurant, and a cafe.'
PoMo Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Colour seems to be the unifying theme in the renovation of a former Art Nouveau city post office into an art museum where paintings, sculptures, photography and installations can be viewed over the three floors of galleries.
The museum aims to address gender inequality by having a minimum of 60 per cent of its acquisitions budget dedicated to commissions from female artists.
A pink metal and glass entrance provides a warmth against the cool northern climate with an interior staircase that winds it way up through the galleries on separate floors, awash with spicy mandarin. On the third floor is a reading room, the ceiling designed with images of swirling sea creatures and references to Nordic folklore, in pink and green, with help from Studio Freeling Waters.
The project has been carried out by Iranian French architect India Mahdavi with work in collaboration by Erick Langdalen. It is India's first museum design.
The name PoMo relates to the use in 1910 as a post office built in Art Nouveau style. The building is grade ll listed. It is located in the centre of the city's cultural district close to other attractions such as the Kunsthall Trondheim.
Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
Our third nominated project is designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson, serving as executive architect.
The Studio describes the building:
'The new building, designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson serving as executive architect, expresses the Museum’s core values of openness and engagement as they have been lived throughout a five-decade history of innovative and impactful exhibitions and programs, while also providing exceptional new spaces to elevate the Museum’s service to artists, audiences, the uniquely vibrant Harlem community, and the world of art.
'The masonry-framed windows of Harlem’s apartment buildings are echoed in the composition of a facade with windows of varying sizes and proportions. The neighborhood’s churches find a counterpart in a top-lit interior gallery with ample wall area for installing large-scale artworks, and a central stair that provides look-out points from the landings.
' A set of glass doors, which can be opened in differing configurations, welcome people to descending steps that evoke the ubiquitous stoops of Harlem’s brownstones. The steps of this “inverted stoop” can be used as benches for watching lectures, performances, and films presented on the building’s lower level—or simply for relaxing in informal gatherings.
'Galleries are configured in assorted proportions, scales, and floor treatments to accommodate the wide variety of works in the permanent collection and the many sizes and types of temporary exhibitions.'
'Artworks will permeate the entire building—even outside the formal galleries—with artists’ projects and site-specific installations using virtually all public spaces. Studios for the artists in residence and education spaces will be located adjacent to exhibition galleries to facilitate exchanges with the community.
'Finally, a roof terrace will offer striking views of Harlem and the rest of the city.'
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