Salvador Dalí Museum Opens in Florida
January 11 '11
St. Petersburg
Florida
Design by Yann Weymouth, AIA, Senior Vice President and Design Director for HOK, the new Salvador Dalí Museum opened earlier this week with a celebration including a parade of Dalí look-a-likes.
The museum’s exterior features more than 900 triangular-shaped glass panels. This geodesic glass structure – nicknamed the “Glass Enigma” – is the only structure of its kind in North America and is a 21st century expression of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome as utilized in Dalí’s Teatro Museo in Figueres, Spain. No two glass panels are identical, providing a truly unique view of St. Petersburg’s picturesque waterfront.
The Helical Staircase – a spiral that ascends to the third floor galleries – is the main architectural focus of the interior. An energetic form created with mathematical precision and resembling a strand of DNA, Dalí recognized the helix as evidence of the divine in nature.
Outside of the building, the architects created a bleak landscape of grey stones juxtaposed by a row of palm trees. One can clearly see their attempt to recreate the mood of a surrealist painting.
While the aesthetics of the building and surrounding area are carefully considered, the designers also made certain that the building itself is a fortress strong enough to protect the large collection of Dalí's work. The steel reinforced concrete that makes up most of the museum is designed to withstand a category 5 hurricane; the roof is 12-inch thick solid concrete and the walls are 18 inches.
Salvador Dalí Museum
Salvador Dalí Museum
Salvador Dalí Museum
