Salvador Dali Museum have a new home when all the 1s come together, that is on January 11, 2011 (1/11/11) at 11:11 AM the new museum will open in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a grand opening party to be attended by Her Royal Highness Infanta Cristina of Spain as guest of honor.
The Dali Museum was first opened here in 1982 when St. Petersburg offered financial support to collector and industrialist A Reynolds Morse and his wife Eleanor Reese to house their already substantial collection. The collection has grown to be the largest Dali collection outside of Spain. It has more Dali masterworks than any other museum in the world. The museum attracts over 200,000 visitors every year impacting the St. Petersburg economy by over $50 million.
The opening of the new, visually stunning $36 million building will double the current space of the Dali Museum to 66,450 square feet. The building design is not only innovative and attractive but can reportedly withstand a category five hurricane. The roof is 12-inch thick solid concrete. The walls are 18 inches. This has been done to protect the Dali masterpieces from any harm. The museum has a total of 2,140 works by Dali including 96 oil paintings.
