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What Is Frank Gehry Doing About Labor Conditions in Abu Dhabi?

United Kingdom Architecture News - Sep 26, 2014 - 13:11   4218 views

What Is Frank Gehry Doing About Labor Conditions in Abu Dhabi?

Courtesy Gehry Partners, LLP

By Anna Fixsen

Since the Guggenheim museum announced plans for its Frank Gehry-designed satellite in Abu Dhabi eight years ago, the project has been part of debates and protests concerning the treatment of migrant construction workers and the role of architects in their safety and well being. But behind the scenes, Gehry has been working with a human rights lawyer and the country’s state-run development authority to improve conditions for laborers on his site.

“Gehry Partners has been engaged in a substantial and on-going dialogue over many years now that has involved government, the construction industry, architects, project, sponsors and NGOs,” according to a statement from Gehry’s office. “It is a process in which we will strive to be continuously engaged, not something that is simply done at any one stage.”

Gehry may be the first prominent architect to take steps towards labor reform on Saadiyat Island, the luxury arts and real estate development 500 meters off the shore of Abu Dhabi where the Guggenheim, after years of delays, is expected to soon begin construction. The museum will join Rafael Viñoly’s New York University Abu Dhabi (completed this year), Norman Foster’s Zayed National Museum (opening in 2016), and Jean Nouvel’s Louvre satellite, expected to open next year. Tadao Ando and Zaha Hadid have also designed buildings for future development phases.....Continue Reading

> via Architectural Record