sentences:  The Museum had decided that rather than house the Planetarium in a "metal box" like so many planetariums of the day, they would use a sculpted concrete dome that would attract attention from the nearby bridges over the Manatee River.The planetarium operated successfully for over 30 years, but in the early morning hours of August 23, 2001, an electrical fire, thought to have started in the Planetarium's lighting equipment, destroyed the interior of the auditorium and most of the offices and support spaces in the Museum's north wing.The Planetarium's concrete dome and lack of windows helped to keep the fire contained to the north wing, sparing the cultural and natural history collections in the main museum, but it also turned the Planetarium into a kiln, gutting the theater and its projection equipment.