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Thom Mayne unveils ‘floating cube’ design for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Thom Mayne unveils ‘floating cube’ design for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science


August 11, 2010
This article first appeared in the 200910 issue of BD+C.

Calling it a “living educational tool featuring architecture inspired by nature and science,” Pritzker Prize Laureate Thom Mayne unveiled the schematic designs and building model for the Perot Museum of Nature & Science at Victory Park in Dallas. The $185 million, 180,000-sf structure is 170 feet tall—equivalent to approximately 14 stories—and is conceived as a large cube floating over the site’s landscaped plinth (or base). An acre of rolling roofscape comprised of rock and native drought-resistant grasses reflects Texas’s indigenous landscape and demonstrates a living system that will evolve naturally over time. The facility’s interior will include five floors of public space housing 10 exhibition galleries, including a children’s museum, an expansive glass-enclosed lobby, and an outdoor terrace. Completion: 2013.

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