The Osaka Maritime Museum was designed by Paul Andreu and opened to the public in 2000. It is a steel dome structure, built on reclaimed land in the Bay of Osaka. It houses a maritime museum and is centered around a replica of an Edo period trading ship. Osaka City supported the design and built the museum as a way of reflecting the city’s maritime history.

The museum is 15 meters from shore and is accessed by a submerged tunnel. Its offices and entrance are located nearby in a semicircular building located on the land.

One of the most impressive aspects of the building is its comprehensive structural resistance to wind, water, and seismic forces. For this design it won a Structural Special Award in 2002 from the UK Institution of Structural Engineers.