Panamanian president Juan Carlos Varela, along with the nation’s Tourism Authority Administrator, Jesus Sierra Victoria, have inaugurated the first phase of Panama’s new Biomuseum designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry.

The museum, which is the only project Frank Gehry has designed in Latin America, will place Panama as “a world-class historical library on the evolution of species”, said Victoria. 

President Varela also assured that one of the museum’s aims is to service the Panamanian people, especially children who will nurture their knowledge and values about Panama.

The Biomuseo boasts 4,000 square meters and includes eight showrooms, five of which are already enabled.

There is currently an exhibition on the Panama Bridge of Life.

Aspects of Panama’s flora and fauna are also displayed alongside models of the large mammals that passed through the area 20 million years ago when the isthmus became a land bridge that joined Central America with South America.