As if The Dali’s façade wasn’t iconic enough, the celebrated museum is about to stand out even more along the downtown waterfront. Construction is accelerating on phase one of The Dali’s expansion with a new dome going up beside the museum’s beloved garden.

Standing 39 feet tall and a full 60 feet in diameter, the new dome will be used primarily as a programming and public space. The Dali, known for installations that showcase incredible (and often surreal) visuals, will display projection-mapped, digital exhibitions inside the new facility. The world of Salvador Dali and more of the history’s greatest artists will become even more immersive.

The Dalí is working with Stantec (civil engineer and architecture), JE Dunn (construction) and Omnispace360 (dome fabrication) on the dome, and original estimates aimed for a summer or fall of 2023 opening.

“Through visitor research and museum industry trends, we recognize that visitors are seeking interactive art experiences in addition to the traditional art galleries,” the museum explained. “The Dalí takes pride in being on the forefront of museum innovation, and has been celebrated internationally for not only its collection but for its unique, engaging programming and exhibitions that blend art and technology. We aim to stay ahead of the curve and our current space simply isn’t large enough to both display the numerous digital experiences we have developed and continue to create and share them with the community.”

Phase two of expansion will bring massive new facility

This expansion, of course, is only the first phase. After a referendum last fall cleared the way for The Dali to extend the property lines of its lease with the city, an even larger expansion is in the design stage. In fact, phase two of the expansion will be about 20 times as big as this new dome, The Dali estimates.

Phase two will include a permanent westward extension of the current building, adding 60,000 square feet of gallery, educational and community space, with a targeted opening date of 2025. This will also form the new entrance to the museum, just west of the current entrance.

The majority of the funds for the estimated $55 million project will come from the museum’s expansion fund, corporate sponsorships, and private funds donated by supportive individuals. Additionally, in 2019, The Dali was awarded a Capital Project Grant of $17.5 million by the Pinellas County Commission, funded by the “bed tax.” That tax is collected from overnight tourist accommodations, which the county uses to reinvest into improvements for Pinellas County sports attractions and cultural arts organizations, such as The Dali in this instance.

And according to an independent study, that reinvestment from the county will more than pay for itself within the first year alone. Research Data Services, Inc. estimated that expansion of The Dali “would drive an incremental 70,000 visitors and nearly $180 million dollars in economic impact to St. Petersburg” just in year one. That’s in addition to the nearly $1 billion in economic impact the study estimates The Dali has already made over the last 10 years in St. Pete.

The Dali is one of the world’s most acclaimed collections of a single modern artist

As a cultural institution, The Dali has been a driving force behind St. Pete’s globally-celebrated arts scene for more than 40 years, and particularly since its current building opened in 2011. The museum’s expansion is also part of the City of St. Petersburg’s long-term plans for the Center for the Arts, a proposal centered around making The Dali and the neighboring Mahaffey Theater more inviting for guests, while also updating parking.

According to the museum, The Dali receives up to 400,000 visitors annually, and as a result, the current structure is “simply at capacity” for how many guests can attend. In larger terms, The Dali has described the expansion as an opportunity to further invest in the “creative spirit of the namesake artist,” Salvador Dali.

“The expansion calls for dedicated gallery space for experiences that blend art and technology,” the museum says. “Dalí Museum visitors have reported a strong interest in seeing more immersive experiences – they help people feel more connected to art, better understand it and gain inspiration from it.

“In addition to dedicated space for digital art, the expanded Museum would include more community space for K-12 student programs and adult education including the Museum’s growing Innovation Labs, a proprietary professional development program.”

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