The news that the deadline for the main Louvre Abu Dhabi contract bid has been extended immediately raised the question of whether the completion date would also be extended. After all, we’re so used to these big projects slipping by months, even years – especially the kind of project that involves big-name architects with their advanced ideas. Look at Zaha Hadid’s Sheikh Zayed Bridge; lovely lines, elegant design, brain-boggling technically.
Written by Charlie Kennedy
So we’re happy to record that the developer of the Louvre, the Tourism Development, and Investment Company (TDIC), was quick to meet questions about the deadline for completion with reassuringly good news: the opening date remains the same – sometime in 2013.
We’re not too surprised, actually.
The main construction contract deadline was originally October 2009; it’s now 1st August 2010. That’s intended to help trim some ongoing costs and slow the cashflow burn. But cutting corners – or costs, for that matter – is not something that we associate with these marquee projects of Abu Dhabi’s. True, some large scale infrastructurebuilds (such as the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, or Masdar City) are well known for taking a while longer than expected. But you can always count on delivery sooner or later.
In what is still considered a rather uncertain time – with the effects of the global recession still being felt in many parts of the world, and especially in construction – an uncertain future for Abu Dhabi is certainly not on the cards. There’s a plan, and it’s being followed through.
Deadline or no deadline, Abu Dhabi Week for one can’t wait to watch the many spaces being filled around the capital. And we’re pretty certain the Louvre Abu Dhabi will open to the public, as expected, in three years’ time. But whether or not it’s a bit late, we’ll certainly be standing in the queue to see yet another exciting milestone for the city.
