Developer Dubai Properties is building a £255m museum, dedicated to Middle Eastern modern art as the centre piece of its £8bn Cultural Village project in Dubai, UAE.

The 25,000 sq m Museum of Middle East Modern Art (MOMEMA), designed by Amsterdam-based architects UN Studio, will include exhibition spaces, art galleries, leasable workshop spaces, an auditorium and an amphitheatre for live performances and international festivals.

MOMEMA will also feature a 60-room boutique hotel and retail promenade on the village's waterfront as well as a top-floor restaurant providing 360-degree views of Dubai Creek. The building is based on the silhouettes of an Arabian dhow sailing boat.

Construction of the museum is expected to begin in eight months and should be completed by 2011.

A spokesperson for Dubai Properties said: "The Culture Village (4.6 million sq m) will feature wide open spaces, traditional wind towers, cobble stone walkways, unique sculptures, waterways topped with bridges, creekside souks, restaurants and cafes."

The masterplan has been divided into residential, commercial and retail zones with hospitality and entertainment sub-districts.

The commercial district will house cultural institutions, schools and academies for the arts, while the retail district will feature luxury hotels, designer boutique-style restaurants and coffee shops.