The purchase of the former Porteous, Mitchell and Braun department store building on Congress St. in Portland allowed the Maine College of Art to consolidate and unify its studio majors, library and administrative office into one building. The vision of the College provided students and faculty an environment of open sharing, collaboration and expression of art and design. This allowed the individual arts programs to be inspired by the larger arts community. The ICA gallery and the library allow the College to reach out to a broader network of artisans.
Intensive programming, working closely with faculty and students led to a well thought through design of the various studio spaces and planning for future growth. Since enrollment of the major arts is unpredictable, flexibility in their studio space is imperative to the success of the College. Reinforcing the notion of cross-pollination of the arts, majors are allowed and encouraged to share space with various disciplines. As the anchor for the then developing Portland Arts District, restoration of the 1904 Beaux-Art façade needed special care and attention. Working carefully with the contractor and the unique skills of various trades, massive windows were restored to original working condition, limestone and terra cotta veneers were repointed and, in some cases, recast using models from the original façade. The transom windows have prismatic glass, an early method of daylighting, that were fully restored.
Teaming up with the Croxton Collaborative, Briggs Associates and J&M Lighting Design, the building has state-of-the-art ventilation while maintaining an Energy Start rating.
