The Saadiyat Cultural District is Abu Dhabi’s ultimate, modern creative and intellectual quarter, shaped over the past eight years on Saadiyat Island. The original “Big Three,” outlined in a 2007 master plan, included the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2017; the Zayed National Museum, the district’s centerpiece inaugurated in December 2025; and Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim, currently under construction and set to open later in 2026. The plan soon grew to include two more world-class institutions: the Natural History Museum and Tokyo-based collective teamLab, which opened in April 2025. Together, now known as the “Big Five”, these world-class museums and galleries have turned this island into a modern, picturesque cultural hub. teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi is a remarkable experience for both adults and children, blending art, science, and technology into a fully immersive adventure. Expect dazzling strobe lights, flashing effects, UV illumination, fog, and flowing water that bring the exhibitions to life.

teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi Aerial View © teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi

TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi marks a new chapter in the evolution of immersive art from the teamLab group expanding overseas. Even from the outside, the building impresses: an all-white, alien ship-like structure — the largest purpose-built facility of its kind in the world — its sleek curves redefine the very idea of an artwork. TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi was designed by Abu Dhabi-based lead Architects MZ Architects in collaboration with teamLab Architects. Designed in collaboration, the building is conceived as an organically-shaped, fluid ecosystem rather than a mere container for art. Crafted from the inside out and the outside in, it allows the installations to emerge naturally from their environment, living, responsive, and in constant transformation. “At teamLab Phenomena, we aim to inspire curiosity, connection, and creativity. These new artworks expand the possibilities of interactive art, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in ever-evolving phenomena that spark wonder and leave lasting impressions,” explains Takashi Kudo, Communications Director of teamLab.

Circulating Universe of Water Particles © teamLab

TeamLab’s signature is interactive, sensory art where visitors are not spectators but participants, stepping into a universe where colour, light, sound merge into a single experience. The first major room, Circulating Universe of Water Particles, greets visitors with a wobbly surface and towering columns adorned with mathematically mapped projections, transforming the space into a dynamic forest of motion. Shaped by architecture and the movement of visitors, the countless particles flow and interact, tracing delicate trajectories that envelop the room. Rather than an illusion of depth, the work exists physically alongside the viewer — walls and floors dissolve as boundaries, and the space becomes a shared continuum where motion, presence, and environment merge seamlessly.

Flutter of Butterflies © teamLab

As you move through tunnels connecting the artworks, interactive experiences come alive. In Flutter of Butterflies, touch brings flurries of butterflies to life, filling the space with motion. While the swarm appears chaotic, simple interactions between individual butterflies create moments of spontaneous order. The work exists directly alongside the viewer — walls and floors become points of emergence rather than boundaries, allowing visitors to inhabit a shared, creative space. Similarly, Wind Form transforms the environment into a living flow, where countless particles trace shifting lines of motion like visible wind. Both installations invite visitors to move freely, experiencing space not as observed, but as physically felt.