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

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.