Museum of Science
Grimshaw Architects

Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

The new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science recently broke ground in Downtown Miami's Museum Park. The ceremony took place at the museum's new site overlooking Biscayne Bay.

The groundbreaking event marks the beginning of construction, with the new museum scheduled to open to the public by early 2015.


Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

Our new building should serve as a delightful gathering place for residents and visitors, and we look forward to the Museum greatly enhancing the motivation for science and technology education in the community. It will also be an outstanding economic and architectural asset for the city.

/Trish and Dan Bell, co-chairs of the Museum's Board of Trustees

The Museum is structured around a lushly landscaped indoor and outdoor "living core" of terrestrial and aquatic spaces, featuring a 600,000 gallon aquarium facility, a full dome 3-D planetarium, interactive exhibits, innovative technology and two additional wings of exhibition space, learning center and cafes.


Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

The "living core" will frame the starting point of each visit, providing an environmental context for studies of the social, technological, physical and natural world around us.

Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

Photo courtesy Grimshaw Architects

The core design concept is "building as exhibit." Grimshaw's design is a "living building" - physically and visibly changing in response to environment, events and the mood of the city.

High performance ventilation and air conditioning systems will be fine-tuned to provide superior comfort at low energy for the interior spaces. A vegetated roof will be accompanied by a constructed wetland adjacent to the building for control of storm water runoff and to enhance site biodiversity.  

The museum currently serves anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 school children on an annual basis, with this number expected to double when it moves into its new location at Museum Park.

The groundbreaking event will mark the launch of two pilot education programs that the Museum intends to prototype in advance of its grand opening at Museum Park. "Science Stars" will bring leading scientists, such as astronomers, physicists, marine biologists, and engineers into the Miami-Dade County Public School System.  Additionally, Miami Science is beginning an internship program at the museum to enhance real-world training for high school students interested in embarking on a career in science and/or technology.