National Geographic Abu Dhabi today announced a brand-new documentary showcasing the construction of one of the largest museums in the world -the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre(SAASCC) project in Kuwait, in the heart of the capital Kuwait City. The documentary premieres on 21stSeptember 2020 at 8 PM UAE Time/7 PM KSA Time.
The 20-minute film explores the various features of the colossal project, envisioned as a beacon of art, creative and scientific thinking in Kuwait. Spread over an 18-hectare site, it encompasses six museums – including the museum of Natural History, Science & Technology, Fine Arts & Theatre, Museum of Islamic History and the Space Museum – all connected by a covered central street forming ASCC’s spine, in the shape of human DNA.
The new National Geographic Abu Dhabi film gives audiences a rare glimpse into the massive and complex task of building the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, which started in 2016 and involved over 3,000 suppliers working together to deliver the mammoth project on time.
The film captures how designers of the Center created a work of architectural wonder that reflects Kuwait’s heritage and culture, combined with cutting-edge audio and visual technologies to attract future generations; taking viewers on a visit to external spaces such as the Public Realm, which houses 22 galleries and over 900 individual exhibits. It also chronicles the behind-the-scenes design and installation of over 350 audio visual display exhibits and other key components, which are seamlessly integrated through glazed wings.
The Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre is designed with six different buildings to take visitors of all ages on an engaging journey that aims to inspire, enrich, transfer knowledge, complement and enhance the educational curriculum:
- The Natural History Museum: Covering various themes such as Prehistoric Life, Ecosystems, The Earth and Environment, Biodiversity, Nature, Arabian Wildlife and Geography;and featuring the replica of the South East Asian rain forest with a combination of living trees and plants interspersed with fauna and a 1.4 million litre aquarium, offering panoramic views of all the live species enclosed inside. Viewers will also get to witness the building and installation of a gigantic 60ft prehistoric whale suspended above four striking displays of giant beasts from the distant past.
- The 10 diverse galleries that make up the Science & Technology Museum, where viewers will view Transport, Experiments, the Human Mind and Body, Robotics, Natural Defenses and Innovation throughout the ages. One of the key highlights they will see is the 20-seater 4D dark ride experience suspended from the mezzanine floor which takes visitors on an adventure inside the human body. Another is the Robotics gallery, where visitors are met by a 3-metre-tall host robot who explains the interactive journey they are about to embark upon.
- The Space Museum with 4 galleries and a 110-seat planetarium, which creates a futuristic museum exploring topics such as space travel and our solar system. Viewers will get a glimpse of the solar system installation with nearly 5,000 components. Viewers also witness the various space vehicles, communication devices, satellites, space telescopes and planets which are suspended within the gallery as well as the replicated recreation of the International Space Station (ISS) which engulfs the entire gallery.
- The Islamic History and Space Museum, where viewers get a deeper insight into the works of Arabic scholars and inventors as well as the opportunity to explore the Islamic civilization and how science and arts flourished during that period. The film gives a close-up view of some of the world’s most ornate and influential mosques in intricate detail.
With stunning cinematography and a gripping narrative, the National Geographic Abu Dhabi documentary film celebrates the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, which is set to become a world-class destination and an iconic cultural minaret offering a fresh cultural and educational exchange platform on science, arts, Arabic and Islamic history– and above all an exciting opportunity for future generations to learn and dream big.
The film premieres on the National Geographic Abu Dhabi and National Geographic on 21stSeptember at 8 PM UAE Time/7PM KSA Time.
For more information, please visit http://natgeotv.com/me
