Louvre Abu Dhabi

Jean Nouvel's museum city sits low beside the water under a single dome 180 meters across, resting on just four piers. Its layered latticework breaks the sun into what Nouvel calls a "rain of light," spots that drift across the plazas and pools as the day moves. Go late in the afternoon, when the light patterns are most dramatic and the heat eases. The galleries tell a broad story of human art across cultures, which is well done if more survey than depth; the space under the dome is the part you will remember.