Welcome to the 2nd in our series: Unique Gallery Spaces Around the Globe. This month we take a look at The Dali Museum. In mid 2008 The Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg, Florida, which houses the largest collection of Dali’s work outside of Europe, moved into a new exciting space, on the downtown waterfront, next to the Mahaffey Theatre, the city’s pre-eminent performing arts venue. This iconic building features a large glass entryway and skylight.
Today, 1/1/11 at 11.11am a new larger and more storm-secure glass atrium, with walls so thick they can withstand a Category 5 hurricane, was opened to the public. Storm doors shield the vault and galleries, which are located on the 3rd floor, protected from the 30+ foot hurricane storm surges. The grand scale of this geodesic inspired glass atrium guarantees visitors a truly Dali-esque experience.
THE DALI MUSEUM Images © Moris Moreno
The Museum was inspired by the work of Salvador Dali, as well as Buckminster Fuller, whom Dali himself was influenced by. Called Enigma, the amazing faceted atrium crawls over the facade of the building and is formed by a 75 foot tall spiraling staircase inside the lobby.
THE DALI MUSEUM Images © Moris Moreno
All the lighting in and around the building is energy efficient, including the LED lighting used on the exterior. Indoor air quality is maintained by an energy efficient ventilation system and irrigation for the landscape that wraps around the building is provided through reclaimed water making this museum a very green design.
