Cultural Foundation

The Cultural Foundation is an arts centre in central Abu Dhabi, opposite Qasr Al Hosn. It opened in 1981, ten years after a law of 1971 provided for it, and is one of the cultural sites of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi.

The building came out of a 1973 design competition won by The Architects' Collaborative, the firm founded by Walter Gropius. The Iraqi architect Hisham Al Ashkouri led the project. At its opening it held the country's first national library, an auditorium and an exhibition centre. It was renovated between 2008 and 2018.

Since reopening in 2018 it has held visual art exhibitions, workshops and events, with space for community shows by artists, curators and collectives in the UAE. An annual residency gives UAE artists studios and resources. Al Marsam Al Hor teaches art to teenagers and adults, and Bait Al Khatt holds Arabic calligraphy masterclasses. The building also houses a 900-seat theatre and the Abu Dhabi Children's Library.