Imagine you could step into history. Not just read about it, but walk through it, and witness moments that shaped some of the world’s most influential cultures. Now open to the public and running for 12 months, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Quantum Dome Project reimagines history not as something to be studied at a distance, but as something to be felt, experienced, and lived.
Housed in the museum’s Lower Forum, Quantum Dome Project reflects Louvre Abu Dhabi’s bold commitment to making art and culture resonate in new and unexpected ways. The 25-minute VR journey uses wireless, full-body motion tracking to allow up to ten participants at the same time to move freely through vivid, walkable digital environments. No screens. No controllers. Just presence, curiosity, and connection.
Visitors will embark on a breathtaking time-travel mission inspired by science fiction, where past and future collide in an immersive journey through art and history. Guided by a cinematic narrative, they will be transported across centuries to rediscover a selection of iconic masterpieces from the Louvre Abu Dhabi collection. The experience brings to life the historical worlds behind three significant artefacts from the museum’s permanent collection, each carefully researched and digitally reimagined:
- The Portrait of Emperor Augustus | Imperial Rome, 1st century CE: Stroll beneath the colonnades of the Augustus Forum and encounter the scale, power, and symbolism of Roman imperial rule.
- A manuscript page from De Materia Medica | Medieval Baghdad, 13th century CE: Step into the library of the House of Wisdom, where scholars gathered to unlock the secrets of medicine, nature, and the cosmos.
- The ‘Four Mirror’ Armour | Mughal India, 17th–18th century CE: Glide across tranquil waters past the Jal Mahal, immersed in the refined world of the Mughal empire.
The experience will immerse participants in a radical new form of storytelling – one that is lived, not just observed. Moving freely through vast virtual historical landscapes, participants explore using their natural body movements, just as they would in real life. In addition, the journey is not an individual experience, but a shared one: participants see one another, interact, and advance together through a narrative that blends discovery, learning, and cutting-edge technology. In this collective exploration, education and immersion meet in an unforgettable adventure.
Grounded in real artefacts and cultural contexts, each virtual environment invites visitors to engage with the past as a lived, multi-sensory experience. Whether tracing the architectural majesty of ancient Rome, the intellectual vitality of Abbasid Baghdad, or the artistic grandeur of Mughal India, Quantum Dome Project allows history to unfold in real time around you.
Marine Botton, Interpretation and Creative Content Senior Officer at Louvre Abu Dhabi, said, “Quantum Dome Project is an extension of our mission to connect cultures and communities through meaningful and innovative experiences. As a museum rooted in storytelling and universality, we are proud to offer an experience where visitors can engage with history not as distant observers but as active participants. This project embodies Louvre Abu Dhabi’s commitment to using technology to creating powerful and accessible cultural initiatives bridging time and bringing human stories vividly to life in a shared experience.”
Developed with Small Creative Studio (France), Quantum Dome Project is available in Arabic, English, and French, and suitable for visitors aged eight and above. It’s designed to engage a wide range of audiences, including solo-visitors, families, students, tech lovers, and cultural explorers, through one shared journey. This pioneering experience goes beyond traditional museum visits. It’s a space for curiosity and connection, where art, history, and technology converge and where every step offers a new way of seeing the world.
