Completed in 1995, this spherical theater, with its form clutching the earth, becomes the key organizing element of the entire facility and of the site. Contained in the overall project is a lobby, major exhibition spaces, an Omnimax Theater, a public library, education areas, offices and support zones. Piers stretch to an existing facility and to the wetlands to the south, creating an anchor for the site, unifying the assemblage of new and existing buildings.
Visitors to the facility, entering from the heavily trafficked Fowler Avenue, are first struck by the shimmering blue sphere, the new landmark for the museum. The entry to the site is marked by a glowing glass beacon (also doubling as a vertical circulation stairway), which guides the visitor under and through the building, allowing glimpses into the four-story lobby and exhibition spaces. This drive follows the outstretched arm of the wetlands causeway until it penetrates the thick wall, and the woodlands beyond are revealed. After parking, the visitors are gathered along edges of the ‘Florida Biomes’ footpath — the facility’s first exhibit. This path becomes an experiential journey through several Florida Biomes (or environments), from the low marshlands to the higher and drier, live-oak hummock and a butterfly pavilion near the museum’s front door.
A series of truncated ‘legs’ that define an outdoor-adventure courtyard penetrate the building and lead the visitor into the lobby. Dining facilities, the museum store and the library can all be accessed free of charge from the entry. Views of the blue dome through the lobby to the west and the reappearance of its piers lead the visitor beyond and into the four-story lobby where the nested exhibition levels, seen earlier from the cars, are once again encountered. These overlapping levels allow exhibition space to flow easily up through the facility where access is gained to the Ominimax Theater — its mirrored blue skin evoking the waters and sky of Tampa Bay.