The year is 2028. Uzbekistan has just opened the doors of its largest museum: the long-awaited National Museum of Uzbekistan. It took three years, more than 1,000 days of meticulous work, and the result feels like the embodiment of patience, vision, and ambition.
The architecture makes an impression even before entering. A tunnel-like corridor visually links the museum to the historic Abdulkasim Madrasa, forming a symbolic bridge between centuries-old craftsmanship and contemporary design.
Yet beyond the striking exterior, the interior feels surprisingly intimate – a compact, human-scaled space that reads more like a cultural home than a grand institution. A library, café, and children’s area underline the point: this is a place meant to be lived in, not just visited.
The complex spans a three-story museum, two underground levels, and several auxiliary buildings. China’s CSCEC International Construction served as the main contractor.
All this may sound like a vision from tomorrow, but in two years time, these descriptions will be a reality. The National Museum of Uzbekistan is set to rise in the heart of Tashkent, ready to open as a world-class institution that promises to reshape the region’s understanding of art and heritage.
East meets West in Ando’s design
The project is the creation of renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, working in partnership with German scenography studio Atelier Brückner. Together, they aim to deliver one of the most ambitious cultural developments in Central Asia.
Encompassing 40,000 square meters, the building is conceived as an interplay of pure geometric forms, circles, squares, triangles, combined into a serene and quietly monumental structure.
“By working with these pure forms, I wanted to return to the origins of thought and create a space from which powerful ideas could be sent out into the world,” Ando said. “I hope that the museum will serve as a new center of creative expression directed towards the world.”
Set near the National Park of Uzbekistan, the future museum will anchor a new cultural axis in Tashkent, linking the Abdulkasim Madrasa and the Palace of Friendship of Peoples.
A civic and educational hub
Beyond its architectural language, the museum is designed to serve as a civic engine. Its permanent and temporary galleries will display a vast collection: More than 100,000 artworks and artifacts, many of which have never been publicly shown. Complementing the exhibitions will be a public library, lecture halls, classrooms, and state-of-the-art conservation laboratories.
Family-friendly spaces, from landscaped gardens to a central café, will invite visitors to linger. The goal is to create an environment where children, students, researchers, and everyday visitors all find a place to learn and connect.
Atelier Brückner’s exhibition design will use immersive scenography to bring history into the present, weaving stories through sound, light, and spatial design. Programming is expected to include artist residencies, youth education initiatives, and community events— embedding the museum into the cultural rhythm of the city.
“The museum reflects our national identity and confidence in Uzbekistan’s cultural capacity to shape a new society,” said Gayane Umerova, chairperson of the Art and Culture Development Foundation.
From Tashkent to the world
The institution is also poised to become a major platform for international cultural exchange. Its inaugural season will feature collaborations with the Louvre, the British Museum, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—a rare trifecta that will bring global masterpieces to Tashkent while elevating Uzbek art on the international stage.
The Art and Culture Development Foundation has already represented Uzbekistan in more than 17 countries, from Paris to Beijing. With the museum established at home, this growing global network will gain a permanent and influential base.
A cultural beacon with political weight
For Uzbekistan, the National Museum is more than a cultural investment. It is a national statement. At the groundbreaking, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called it “a center of knowledge and culture, presenting our 3,000 year-old heritage not only to our people, but to the international community and future generations.”
He described the project as “a symbol of the New Uzbekistan – a society open to the world, rooted in tradition yet looking forward.”
When completed, the National Museum of Uzbekistan aims to stand as a defining cultural landmark for Central Asia—an architectural and intellectual bridge between past and future, and a confident marker of the country’s place on the global cultural map.