Story at a glance:
- LEVER is currently working with the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) on their Campus Unification and Expansion, which began in 2022 with an international design competition led by Dovetail Design Strategists.
- To unify the campus the design removes barriers—replacing the administrative wing with a free ground floor public space traversing the site. The reimagined sculpture court becomes a light-filled, accessible plaza and celebratory entry to a new flexible performance space.
For nearly 150 years the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in the heart of Portland, Maine, has been evolving, with multiple additions and renovations. Most recently architects at LEVER have been working with the PMA team to further unify and expand their campus.
At the heart of the project is a new 60,000-square-foot wing designed as a light-filled public commons—a “third space” where people can gather, learn, and engage with art, whether or not they are visiting an exhibition. The project is a long-term investment in the cultural and civic vitality of Portland and the future of its Arts District, the design team said.
Mass timber is a key material of the expansion and contributes to the project’s sustainability as a carbon sequestering building material. “The openness of design to Congress Square at every level reflects the PMA’s mission to create a more accessible and community-centered museum that can also be a catalyst for the development of a regional mass timber ecosystem,” says Thomas Robinson, founding principal at LEVER Architecture.
The team at LEVER says the project is a collaboration between LEVER, Simons Architects (the local architect of record), Urban Projects Collaborative (the owner’s representative), and Consigli Construction (leading mass timber strategy and pre-construction services).
The new wing is designed to be more welcoming, permeable, and accessible to all. It opens the museum outward to the city and creates free, flexible spaces for gathering and community use. The program includes galleries, a theater, restaurant, maker/studio space, classrooms, a rooftop sculpture park, community event space, administration offices, meeting rooms, and gift shop.
Rendering courtesy of LEVER Architecture
Rendering courtesy of LEVER Architecture
