The Dali Museum

Since the site was 200 feet away from Tampa Bay and only nine feet above sea level after infilling, the structure had to withstand a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 165 mph and 25-foot storm surges.

The interaction between the building’s glass systems and its primary structure, particularly through its welded connections, needed to accommodate thermal stresses.

The design called for a 70-foot-tall helical stair, which had to be detailed to minimize stresses during the construction process.

To deal with high wind loads and water infiltration, we used 18-inch–thick-walls of self-consolidating concrete with a crystalline proofing admixture, poured in 14-foot-high lifts to minimize pour joints. We also separated and enclosed the galleries and vaults from the glass structure.

We devised space frames for the glass structure and released axial restraints on foundation nodes. By not welding the pipe to the sleeve where it interfaced with the concrete, we allowed vertical movement of the frames at the base. 

Walter P Moore designed the helical stair around a 14-inch-wide stringer as the sole load-bearing element, with treads and landings cantilevering outwards from it. We also re-shored and un-shored the structure during construction to minimize stresses. 

Walter P Moore’s expertise helped make the Dali Museum into an eye-catching landmark in St. Petersburg, with galleries and storage spaces that can safeguard and protect Salvador Dali’s art even during a 100-year storm. 

Our design solutions for the interaction between the building’s structural systems allowed vertical movement of the structural frames at the base, which helped reduce design forces and eliminated uplift on the foundations.

The 70-foot helical stair, supported on a single stringer with a 540-degree turn, exemplifies the project’s engineering creativity, gracefully tapering as it spirals upward and paying homage to Dali’s lifelong fascination with DNA, the golden section, and the mathematical constant pi.