DUBAI—The Amsterdam-based architects UN Studio will design a £255 million ($439.6) Museum of Middle Eastern Modern Art (MoMEMA) for Dubai, reports BD - The Architect’s Website. Serving as the centerpiece of Dubai Properties’ £8 billion ($13.8) Cultural Village project, the 25,000 sq. m museum will be built on an island in the middle of the 4.6 million sq. m village.

In keeping with the site, the museum's design scheme, based on the silhouette on an Arabian dhow sailing boat, evokes the sea and Dubai’s tradition of seafaring. UN Studio architect Ben van Berkel said, “The building is positioned to take full advantage of the prominent location in the Culture Village. With its Dhow-like prow rising up, the building offers panoramic views to the surroundings, and vice versa.”

The museum structure will include a 60-room hotel, along with restaurants and retail space. The surrounding village will also feature an amphitheater, exhibition hall, and a shipyard for traditional dhow builders.

The construction of the museum begins in eight months. The completion date is set for 2011.