The Construction Broadsheet: Maine museum selects design team for $100M expansion
By Kim Slowey
Mon, Jan 09, 2023
The PMA Campus Unification and Expansion from Congress Square (LEVER Architecture, Courtesy of Portland Museum of Art, Maine/Dovetail Design Strategists)
The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in Portland, Maine, has selected LEVER Architecture, based in Portland, Oregon, to design its $100 million, 60,000-square-foot expansion.
LEVER's team includes Simons Architects (Portland, Maine), Unknown Studio (Baltimore), Chris Newell-Akomawt Educational Initiative (Ledyard, Connecticut), Openbox (New York City), Once-Future Office (New York City), Atelier Ten (London) and Studio Pacifica (Seattle).
The PMA Campus Unification and Expansion, High Street (LEVER Architecture, Courtesy of Portland Museum of Art, Maine/Dovetail Design Strategists)
Dovetail Design Strategists, headquartered in New York City, designed and directed the museum's competitive architect selection process, which drew submissions from 104 teams representing 250 firms in 20 countries, including Australia, China, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.
During the next several months, museum officials said, they will work with LEVER and the community to finalize the project design.
The project includes a new wing at the museum and other improvements that connect the PMA to four "architecturally significant" existing buildings on its campus – Charles Shipman Payson Building (1983), Lorenzo De Medici Sweat Memorial Galleries (1911), McLellan House (1801) and Clapp House (1832).
When announcing the competition back in June 2022, the PMA said the expansion would likely include open and flexible spaces to accommodate a growing number of exhibits and the 300,000 visitors it expects in the first year after completion, which is anticipated in 2026.
New Wing Rooftop (Courtesy of Portland Museum of Art, Maine / LEVER Architecture / Dovetail Design Strategists)
The new wing, which will double the current size of the museum, could also include a rooftop restaurant, sculpture park and event space with views of Portland and Casco Bay. Community feedback, the PMA said, indicates that the design could also feature more barrier-free space and areas for children and families.
LEVER's winning concept, the museum said, would see the expansion use mass timber, terracotta and glass in its construction, with a curved roofline that will frame the sun as it rises and sets. This is a nod to Maine’s Native American Wabanaki communities, which refer to the land as Wabanakik or Dawnland.
The concept's use of mass timber, a term for engineered wood components such as cross-laminated, nail-laminated and glued-laminated timber, connects it to the state's "lumber industry heritage," the PMA said.
The material, according to mass timber proponents, has a smaller carbon footprint than concrete or steel, and, although not cheaper than traditional construction materials, can save money on shipping because of its relative light weight. The use of mass timber can also reduce costs associated with extended project schedules because it is prefabricated offsite.
The museum said it will pursue other sustainable project elements, including geothermal energy.
"This is one of the most significant moments in the PMA’s 140-year history," said Mark Bessire, the Judy and Leonard Lauder director of the PMA. "LEVER, and the team they have assembled, have demonstrated that they care deeply about our region's future, our unique arts culture and the needs of our communities.
"They share our values of courage, equity, service, sustainability and trust, and we can’t wait to work with LEVER and our communities to imagine Maine's next great landmark," Bessire said.