Within the monumental architecture of Zayed National Museum, the interiors unfold as an orchestrated cultural landscape. Commissioned to lead the creative direction, interior design, curatorship, and FF&E across a constellation of public, VIP, hospitality, and research spaces spanning approximately 3,000 square metres, Agata Kurzela Studio approached the project not as decoration but as interpretation, an effort to translate Emirati cultural memory into contemporary spatial language within the architecture by Foster + Partners in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District.
“The museum’s role is to explain, to provide detail, context and historical examples,” explains Agata Kurzela. “Our role was different. We worked with Emirati artists and designers to create spaces that welcome visitors, host gatherings and support research, yet are not part of the exhibition narrative itself.” Instead, the studio focused on atmosphere and sensory experience. “We operate through emotion and the physical experience of materials and colours rather than pure intellect.”
The conceptual framework draws on cycles of time embedded in the Al Durour calendar, the traditional system mapping the year through climatic and ecological phases. On arrival, Al Shaheen Majlis interprets the ritual of welcoming guests with gahwa. “The function remains, but the expression is contemporary,” Kurzela explains. “The aim is to connect to and frame tradition, not to replicate it.”
Here, the spatial composition brings together a network of collaborators. A modular Bead bench by Abdalla Al Mulla rests on the Jamal carpet, designed by Agata Kurzela Studio and woven by Zuleya. The seating system incorporates the Ned sofa and Button, Tris coffee and side tables by Omar Al Gurg, adapted from residential comfort to a more formal setting and executed in stone and papyrus-based biomaterial. Pendant lights by Roudha Al Shamsi illuminate the majlis, while safeefah cushions woven from local leather by Irthi introduce traditional craft into the contemporary setting. The space is framed by artworks by Juma Al Haj and large sculptural ceramic vessels by Michael Rice.
The seasonal narrative continues in the two Al Hurr majlises, each translating climatic conditions into spatial identity. Al Hurr 1, inspired by the winter season of Al Sheta, features a custom Takya sofa system by Aljoud Lootah incorporating integrated stone tables that reinterpret traditional stacked majlis cushions. A bespoke EBB table light by Alya Al Ghefeli, crafted in metal patina, stone and camel leather, sits alongside the sculptural “T” chandelier by Khalid Shafar. Octagonal tables by One Third Studio accompany carpets designed by Agata Kurzela Studio and embroidered artworks by Stephanie Neville.
In Al Hurr 2, which reflects the intense summer season Al Qaith, the narrative sharpens into brighter contrasts. The space again incorporates the Takya sofa system by Aljoud Lootah, alongside a Shade and Shadow floor light by Lodge Interior, octagon tables by One Third Studio, carpets by Agata Kurzela Studio, and artworks by Stephanie Neville.
The Boardroom, inspired by the summer season Al Saif, is anchored by monumental wall panels by Afra Al Dhaheri derived from the embroidery of a kandura sleeve. “In this way, what is usually intimate, impermanent and often overlooked becomes elevated and enduring,” Kurzela explains. The space incorporates a custom pendant light by Agata Kurzela Studio manufactured in collaboration with Nader Gammas, cabinetry by One Third Studio, carpets by Agata Kurzela Studio, and seating including the Eames Soft Pad and Aluminium task chairs by Vitra.
A more contemplative atmosphere emerges in the Research Library, which overlooks the monumental reconstruction of the Magan Boat. Custom shelving systems with movable ladders clad in burnished bronze, co-working tables, sofa systems, lighting, coffee tables and rugs were designed by Agata Kurzela Studio. The space integrates modular side tables co-designed with Abdalla Al Mulla and Nomad chairs by Latifa Saeed. Carpets woven by Zuleya are finished with custom tassels developed with tarboush specialist Loretta Bilinskaite.
Execution throughout the project followed a research-driven process. “Prototyping was not an added stage but an essential part of the process,” Kurzela notes. From ceramic glaze experiments to furniture mock-ups and the development of Emirati tassel typologies, the interiors evolved through continuous dialogue between designers, makers, and craftspeople.
The result is a layered spatial narrative in which contemporary Emirati design authorship becomes embedded within the museum itself. Alongside design objects and artworks, accessories sourced from Al Nagwa Boutique and pieces by Nada Debs further anchor the project within the region’s creative ecosystem.
Rather than illustrating history directly, the interiors of Zayed National Museum translate it into atmosphere—an architecture shaped by ritual, climate, craft, and the rhythms of gathering.
