Antoine Predock's concept for the Museum was inspired by Canadian landscapes including vast prairie skies, northern lights and snow and ice, as well as Canadian cultures, including Indigenous cultures. The imagery of icebergs, tree roots, and out-stretched wings influenced the form of the building.

The inside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will be as unique and innovative as the iconic outside of the building. There will be over 47,000 ft2 of exhibit space, 10 zones, and a temporary exhibition gallery where visitors will be able to examine human rights issues in depth.

The arts will be used as a medium to tell complex human rights stories within the Museum. There will be several theatre spaces where films can be viewed, as well as performing arts spaces for live theatre and dance.

The Museum will be a centre for learning, with a large reference centre and library and archives available for scholars in residence and researchers. The average floor-to-ceiling height of each level is 5.2M, creating a sense of vastness and openness within the Museum. The immense glass cloud that encapsulates the building will fill the upper portion of the Museum with light, completing the visitor journey from darkness to enlightenment.