Join Bay News 9 as the new Salvador Dalí museum opens to the public for the first time. 

Check out our special behind-the-scenes coverage of the construction and preparation of this groundbreaking piece of architecture, interviews with the museum director and curators, and information about the art and the man himself.

The new Dalí is double the size of the current museum. Salvador Dalí’s amazing works of art will finally have a home designed specifically for this collection. The new Dalí Museum is also built to protect the priceless art collection. The design has already attracted the world’s attention, and is listed as “one of the top buildings you have to see before you die” in AOL Travel News.  

The museum’s exterior is itself a work of art, featuring 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.

Yann Weymouth, AIA, Senior Vice President, and Design Director for HOK conceived the museum’s architectural design. It was brought to life by Novum Structures, which engineered, manufactured and installed the free-form glass exterior.   

Most importantly, the new museum will allow for more of Dalí’s work to be on display than ever before and will feature amenities including a café, theater, classroom and student gallery.  The Grotto at the new museum’s entry introduces visitors to the subtropical flora of Florida. An outside waterfront garden – the Avant Garden– creates a unique environment of learning and tranquility and features a labyrinth for exploration and enjoyment.

Courtesy of the Salvador Dali Museum