Pérez Art Museum Miami, Vertical Gardens. Photo courtesy of PAMM.
Pérez Art Museum Miami, Vertical Gardens. Photo courtesy of PAMM.

The opening of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) may have been a success, but an accident during the construction process has led to a lawsuit for the fledgling institution. As reported by the Miami Herald, the museum stands accused of failing to prevent the collapse of a number of concrete beams supporting the building’s exterior gardens.

Engineering firm Arup USA is suing the museum and Florida contractors John Moriarity & Associates and Gate Precast Co. for nearly $7 million. According to Arup, the contractors should have noticed that the beams were being secured by faulty bolts and corrected the problem before the collapse.

After the November 2012 accident, a major section of the construction had to be redone. Arup fronted the cost of the additional work, but now seeks restitution from the institution.

In a statement, the museum contested the legitimacy of Arup’s claims, saying that “PAMM was included in the lawsuit based on its role as owner and in no way bears responsibility for a any monetary damages claimed by the engineer.”