Nestled on the Biscayne Bay, Pérez Art Museum Miami — with its expansive waterfront windows — seemed an unlikely place to weather Hurricane Irma. But according to Miami New Times, 14 PAMM staff members sought shelter at the museum, which sustained no major damage or flooding. Its windows and roof remained intact, and the museum never lost power or air conditioning during the storm. 

Given the museum’s location, architects designed PAMM specifically with hurricanes in mind. PAMM’s German-built windows were tested in Category 5 wind conditions, and the museum sits on a raised platform to shield it from storm surge. The museum’s outdoor elements, including sculptures and hanging gardens, were also built with hurricanes in mind, a PAMM spokesperson told Miami New Times.

Hurricane Irma marked PAMM’s first brush with a major storm since its relocation to Museum Park in 2013. The museum board revisits hurricane preparedness plans every spring, fine-tuning policies and procedures as needed, said PAMM CFO Mark Rosenblum in a statement.

Brickell faced sizable storm surge and AmericanAirlines Arena, built six years after Hurricane Andrew, lost part of its structure during the storm. PAMM sits just north of the arena, underscoring the museum’s sturdy build. 

Hurricane Irma’s vast size and strength did cause minor landscaping damage and slowed water drainage to the museum’s garage, PAMM reports. The museum reopened Thursday, Sept. 14.