Name: The Plan 167
Brand: The Plan
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By Editorial Staff - 15 December 2025

From the motivations behind its creation to its architectural language, Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, embodies a vision of shared cultural exchange. Created to give the public access to the private art collection of philanthropist and collector H.E. Bassam Freiha and to provide local and international artists with a venue for active exchange, the complex was conceived as a platform for global cultural dialogue. The project is by A.D.D. Consultants, which, a year after the official opening, completed an expansion that includes a café and the Education Gallery – a multifunctional community space for meetings and collaboration. The foundation’s ethos can also be seen in the project’s setting within the Saadiyat Cultural District. This ambitious cultural hub brings together internationally important museums and institutions with the aim of making the island a leading global center for culture.

The complex’s architectural vocabulary reflects the vision of exchange through a balanced geometric and color composition, where the transparency of glass intersects the solidity of granite, steel, and concrete. Its sculptural, material-driven volumes simultaneously express a kind of permeable solidity, with perforations in the microcement breaking up the panels’ mass, punctuating the structure with light and creating a visual dialogue with the extensive glazing. Defined by travertine and porcelain surfaces in tones of gray, beige, and white, the interiors reflect the materials and colors of the exterior. Here, three galleries, together with the new community space, host free exhibitions paired with events and art-focused initiatives.

Collaboration with schools and universities reflects the institution’s educational and cultural mission and frames the complex as a place for meetings and shared learning.