The Portland Art Museum’s campus consists of two landmark structures, the Main Building (Pietro Belluschi, 1932) and the Mark Building (Frederick Fritsch, 1924). The buildings, previously linked by an underground passage, lacked direct connections above grade, limiting the museum’s programming and visitor experience. A new entry pavilion, named in honor of artist Marc Rothko, links the two buildings and provides connectivity at all four levels, uniting the museum campus. The new pavilion and the surrounding existing museum complex was developed in a collaborative design effort by Vinci | Hamp and Hennebery Eddy Architects, located in Portland.
The centerpiece of the PAM’s campus transformation, the Rothko Pavilion welcomes visitors with universal access, transparency, and a strong connection to its urban neighborhood. Bridging the former right-of-way between Pietro Belluschi’s original museum complex (1932-72) and the Mark building, a former Masonic Temple (Fred Fritsch, 1927) now home to the museum’s contemporary art collection, the pavilion establishes a new main entry and links previously discontinuous circulation and disparate floor elevations, creating an intuitive and cohesive venue for art.
The pavilion’s west entry is fronted by a new public plaza for museum events, café seating, and sculpture, featuring Ugo Rondinone's The Sun. A pedestrian/bicycle passageway is incorporated through building, creating a direct link between the two plazas. East and west facades are sheathed in monumental glazing with a bird-safe frit pattern, providing visual connectivity across the facades. The updated campus balances the needs of its urban neighborhood and the city, reinforcing the Museum's role as a cultural beacon for downtown Portland.
A new double-height gallery is located at the pavilion’s second floor, providing a glass-lit venue for sculpture and public events, and serves as a prominent link between the museum’s two existing buildings.
Nested between Belluschi’s 1932 Ayer and 1939 Hirsch Wings is the museum’s new art receiving facility with a new second floor art gallery overlooking Jefferson Street. The addition, clad with a white glass rainscreen, contrasts with Belluschi’s favored red brick from Willamina, Oregon and Roman travertine.
Credits
Architect of Record: Hennebery Eddy Architects, Inc.
Structural Engineer: KPFF
Mechanical Engineer: Interface Engineering
Landscape Designer: Walker Macy + Andrea Cochran
Lighting Designer: Lux Populi
General Contractor: Mortenson Construction
Photographer: Jeremy Bitterman