From an oasis in the desert to a white canvas for archistars from all over the world, Abu Dhabi is the perfect city to experience creativity, an exotic atmosphere, urban panoramas, breath-taking constructions and futuristic architecture.

Among the first things to see in Abu Dhabi, there’s Capital Gate, the world’s furthest leaning man made tower. The 160-metre-tall building, with a spectacular glass façade and a 18-degree inclination, was designed by British studio RMJM, whose project almost quadrupled the Tower of Pisa’s gradient, establishing a new world record.

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More traditional but just as grandiose, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the world’s most majestic places of worship. It features more than a thousand columns, 80 domes, precious chandeliers, large hand-woven rugs, wide water pools and an extensive lighting system that can replicate the phases of the moon.

When staring at the Abu Dhabi skyline, AI Bahar twin towers certainly stand out. They are one of the world's most innovative examples of smart-green architecture. Their secret lies in the eye-catching honeycomb façades. These structures are made up of almost 4,000 movable computerised elements which adapt to the movement of the sun and can reduce the temperature of the interior.

Among the many architects that changed Abu Dhabi’s skyline there’s also Zaha Hadid. The Iraqi architect/designer conceived one of the most breath-taking bridges: the Sheikh Zayed Bridge. Known as the world’s most tangled bridge ever built, it is 800-metres-long and its wavy lines are a tribute to the desert dunes.

The Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre was also designed in the Zaha Hadid Architects offices. Initially conceived to enrich Saadiyat Island, the country’s new cultural heart, this 62-metres-tall building with a sculptural façade will host five theatres, a music room, a concert room and an opera house.

In the Saadiyat Cultural District, right next to buildings designed by architects such as Khalid Alnajjar, Greg Lynn, David Adjaye, Pei-Zhu and Seung H-Sang, there will be new colossal structures.

One of these will be the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by architect Frank Gehry. It will feature 80-metres-tall cones inspired by the region’s old wind towers, cubism suggestions and it will be entirely surrounded by water. The new 30,000-square-metres museum will host galleries, exhibitions and research centres, in a mixture of Arabian traditions and plastic design.

Not too far away from the Guggenheim, French architect Jean Nouvel left his mark with the Louvre Abu Dhabi. An art oasis built around a famous Arabian architectural symbol: a modern dome. Underneath the majestic dome, there will be 23 galleries, a water square, a restaurant with carved decorations and an Optical Art-inspired bar.

With this archistar reunion, we certainly could not miss architect and designer Norman Foster. For the Zayed National Museum project, architects from Foster + Partners were inspired by hawk feathers. The structure will be made up of five big steel feathers planted in the ground, which will contain one gallery each and will automatically regulate the building thermo-regulation.

The British architect also designed the modern dunes of the UAE Pavilion, located on the Saadiyat Island and coming directly from Shanghai Expo 2010. Today, this desert-inspired masterpiece represents one of the most evocative locations dedicated to art and culture.

The project of Abu Dhabi’s new Makers District was commissioned to four different architecture studios from all over the world. On the Reem Island, NStudio, 10Design, MVRDV and Big Bjarke Ingels Group designed an innovative district that will be a green oasis full of creativity and culture.

Finally, the last recommended spot in Abu Dhabi is Middle East’s first lenticular building. The HQ skyscraper, designed by MZ Architects studio, recalls a glass and steel lens leaning on the coast. Its unique shape is a challenge to current structural stability standards, embodied in a perfectly round architectural structure.