The Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in Maine is planning an $85m expansion that would more than double the institution’s space with a new building on the site of the former Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine.
Additionally, the existing buildings will be renovated, the Portland Press Herald reports. “Right now, because of our growth, the real risk is not to build,” Portland Museum of Art director Mark Bessire told the publication.
“We’re at capacity,” Bessire said. “If museums don’t continue to grow, if you fall back, it can take a generation to recover.”
PMA’s new building would be designed with sustainable materials. The expansion would increase the museum’s size from 38,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet. An architect would be selected through a competition.
“We’re at capacity,” said PMA’s director
Kyo Bannai, a trustee who will serve on the committee to select an architect, said: “This initiative would allow the new building to focus on inclusivity, activity and community, and let the older buildings enhance their functionality that’s more appropriate to their original intent.”
The project will be the most ambitious renovation in the Portland Museum of Art’s history. The new building would feature a rooftop sculpture garden and café, and additional offerings would include art galleries, classrooms and public spaces.
“It has been a tough two years,” Bessire said.
“But it has really helped us get a better understanding of what a museum can and should be, something that can help create community.”
The Portland Museum of Art is home to a collection of approximately 18,000 pieces. “We can’t show our whole collection, let alone show it well,” said Graeme Kennedy, creative director and director of public relations for the PMA.
Elsewhere, Weiss/Manfredi is leading a $68m expansion project at the Tampa Museum of Art in downtown Tampa, Florida. The development will add around 51,000 square feet of new space.
Images: Portland Museum of Art
