New forms from a desert capital to an island one

Left: Jean Nouvel; right: Zaha Hadid, photograph by Virgile Simone Bertrand.

Construction has apparently begun on Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi. The LATimes has a short story with some renderings. I'm particularly taken with the dome, which at once reminds me of Independence Day and the star-shaped openings in the domes of traditional bath houses I've visited in the Middle East. I can't wait to see how the light will describe patterns on the floor.

In other architecture news, Zaha Hadid has opened the Neil Barrett flagship store in Tokyo. I was introduced to her work through a friend who encouraged me to see the survey of her work at the Guggenheim a few years back. I became a fan immediately. Yatzer has more photos of the store along with some text by Zaha Hadid Architects.