"At the Portland Art Museum's grand reopening on November 20, a free-admission day giving the public its first look at the Rothko Pavilion and all 100,000 square feet of new and upgraded gallery spaces, a line of people waiting to get in stretched around the block. The turnout was not only a boon to downtown Portland, after years of post-pandemic malaise."
"Ever since Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in 1997, art museums have been seen as opportunities for bold, iconic buildings by famous architects. Ferriso and PAM bucked that trend, instead favoring a Chicago firm, Vinci Hamp, more experienced with art galleries and historic-building renovations than architectural trophies. A few years in, Portland's Hennebery Eddy Architects joined the project to boost the team's urban-design acumen."
"The overflowing crowds on opening weekend, and the almost universally enthusiastic response, also speaks to how the glass-ensconced Rothko Pavilion transforms the Portland Art Museum experience. It doesn't just connect two existing historic structures: 1932's Pietro Belluschi-designed Main Building and 1926's Frederic Fritsch-designed Mark Building, the former Masonic Temple. It does so exceptionally well, with seamless flow and a variety of vantage points, inside and out - including an outdoor passageway through this double-sized block, over which the Rothko Pavilion cantilevers."
The Portland Art Museum reopened on November 20 with free admission and public access to the Rothko Pavilion and 100,000 square feet of renovated gallery space, drawing long lines. The surge in visitors provided an economic and cultural boost to downtown Portland and served as validation for a decade-long, nine-figure fundraising campaign. The project prioritized experienced gallery and historic-renovation architects over star-architect spectacle, with Vinci Hamp leading design and Hennebery Eddy adding urban-design expertise. The glass-ensconced Rothko Pavilion links two historic buildings, creates seamless internal flow, and includes an outdoor passageway where the pavilion cantilevers over the block.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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