Virtual rainforest opens at last

October 2 marks the official opening of the first phase of Panama's biodiversity museum, known as BioMuseo.

The museum, seen here during its construction, was originally conceived in 1999 but bureaucratic issues delayed its completion until 2014.

BioMuseo is renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry's first project in Latin America,

Whereas previous prominent Gehry projects have involved monochrome palettes and reflective metallic surfaces, BioMuseo features vibrant colors.

BioMuseo was commissioned to celebrate the unique role played by Panama in bridging a continental divide.

The highlight of the Biodiversity Museum is a 12-screen, fully immersive surround cinema, including one giant screen under foot. Monkeys scramble overhead and sharks swim under foot.

Visitors to the museum are met by displays showing animal stampedes. These represent the fauna exchanges that began between the north and south Americas after Panama was formed.

Eight galleries and eight "devices of wonder" detail the impact the Panamanian isthmus has had on the planet's biodiversity.

• Museum originally conceived more than a decade ago but has only officially opened its doors this year


• BioMuseo is renowned architect Frank Gehry's first building in Latin America


• An immersive 12-screen projection space recreates rainforest in one museum gallery

(CNN) -- It stands at the entrance to the Panama Canal and took longer than the waterway to build, but a brightly colored biodiversity museum designed by architect Frank Gehry has finally celebrated its official opening

BioMuseo, a 4,000-square-meter exhibition space and botanical park, has been commissioned to highlight Panama's natural wonders and its role as a geological bridge between two continents.

With its vivid appearance, BioMuseo has become a familiar sight to ships using the Canal's eastern gateway and to people using the nearby Bridge of Americas that connects to an offshore archipelago.

Although its shape is reminiscent of Gehry's earlier works -- which include landmarks such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles -- its bold color scheme is a departure.

It's Gehry's first in Latin America, despite the fact his wife is Panamanian.

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Repeated delays

The museum was first conceived in 1999, but bureaucratic issues caused repeated delays, meaning it took 15 years to complete -- five more than the Canal, which opened in 1914 after a decade of construction.

Visitors to BioMuseo will pass through a series of galleries incorporating interactive dioramas, including "Panamarama" -- a three-level, 12-screen projection space intended to create an immersive rainforest experience.

Built on a former U.S. military base, the exhibition is described on the museum's website as "a combination of art and science that leads the visitor to experience a marvelous phenomenon."

BioMuseo , Building 136, Amador Causeway, Apartado, Panama City; +507 830 6700