Portland Art Museum completes steel structure for its "front door"

The Portland Art Museum, in collaboration with builder Mortenson, hosted a "topping out" ceremony on Monday, July 22 in celebration of the completed steel structure for the new Mark Rothko Pavilion.

The top roof beam was placed for the nearly 22,000 square-foot pavilion — a transparent, welcoming "front door" to the museum — during the ceremony.

“Yesterday’s topping-off ceremony was an inspiring moment for the PAM and the larger Portland community, marking an important step in realizing the vision of our transformed campus,” said Brian Ferriso, director and chief curator of the Portland Art Museum, in a press release. “The Museum is the anchor of our downtown cultural district, and we look forward to being able to better serve our audiences across the city and state, and to welcoming national and global visitors to experience the work of artists from across the region and around the world.”

Opening in the fall of 2025, the pavilion is the centerpiece to the museum's major $111 million campus transformation. Renovations, or additions, include 100,000 square feet to the museum, and add new visitors amenities.

The glass structure is designed for increased visitor accessibility, connecting the museum's two historic buildings: the landmark 1932 Main Building and the Mark Building, a former Masonic temple renovated by PAM in 2005.

Name after renowned abstract artist Mark Rothko, who spent his childhood in Portland, the space will create streamlined circulation across all four floors of gallery space.

Work on the project began in 2023, as the newly completed pavilion had information shared by PAM about its name and who Rothko was.

The project was spearheaded by Chicago-based architecture firm Vinci Hamp in collaboration with Portland's Hennebery Eddy Architects.

Expansion and renovations include: reinstallation of the museum's encyclopedia collection, outdoor terraces, public plazas, café and store.

“This project is incredibly special on so many levels, not the least of which is the opportunity to expand such a culturally important destination for Portland,” said Mike Clifford, Vice President, general manager of Mortenson, in a press release. “The intricacies of surgical-like demolition and the merging of modern new construction with the historic buildings required meticulous planning and precise skills. We could not have accomplished this great progress so far without the museum’s leadership and a team of highly experienced construction professionals.”