For Zayed National Museum, ACCIONA Cultura commissioned a stainless steel Ghaf tree from Factum Arte to be installed suspended from the ceiling—7.5 metres above ground, spanning nearly 12 metres, and weighing 1,100 kg. Designed by Foster + Partners and illuminated by carefully designed lighting, the sculpture transforms engineering into organic form.

The Ghaf tree (Prosopis cineraria) plays a defining role in the cultural and ecological identity of the UAE. A symbol of resilience and continuity in the desert landscape, the Ghaf is valued for its deep root system, drought tolerance and ability to provide shade and shelter. Its presence across the region has long embodied endurance, regeneration and the interdependence between community and environment.

 

The sculpture with suspended leaves forms part of a wider installation commissioned by ACCIONA Cultura, which includes the Bronze Ghaf Tree and the two horse sculptures of Rabdan and Saglawiya.

Measuring nearly 12 metres in length and weighing around 1,100 kg, the Stainless Steel Ghaf Tree demanded rigorous structural engineering, as well as specialist welding by ATES, to determine its exact suspension points within the museum. Its stylised trunk opens into a complex network of 37 main branches and groups of thousands of individually welded stainless-steel leaves—balancing technical constraints with the organic irregularity characteristic of the species.

 

The design of the leaves builds on the botanical research undertaken for Factum Arte’s Bronze Ghaf Tree in Abu Dhabi, ensuring continuity in the interpretation of the species. Each of the more than 20,000 leaf clusters was laser-cut from stainless steel sheets in varied shapes and sizes to replicate the natural irregularity of Ghaf foliage.

The branches were fabricated in multiple thicknesses and pre-bent to achieve organic, naturally flowing forms. The stylised trunk is composed of stainless-steel filaments of differing lengths—some reaching up to 6 metres—rising from the base and connecting to the main branches and to the cable connectors. These flowing elements transition seamlessly into the secondary and tertiary branches, onto which every leaf cluster was individually welded.

The sculpture was transported to Zayed National Museum in several modular sections and assembled on site. Final adjustments were carried out before the structure was lifted and secured to the ceiling via its engineered suspension system.