Mark Rothko Pavilion at Portland Art Museum Reaches Major Construction Milestone

A topping out ceremony was recently held to celebrate the completion of the steel structure for the Portland Art Museum’s new Mark Rothko Pavilion. Opening fall 2025, the pavilion is the centerpiece of PAM’s major $111-million campus transformation that will renovate or add nearly 100,000 square feet to the museum and add new visitor amenities that address the needs of more diverse audiences.

During the ceremony, the top roof beam was placed for the nearly 22,000 square-foot pavilion, which will provide a new transparent and welcoming front door to the museum. Guests were invited to commemorate the event and had the opportunity to sign the beam.

Designed for increased visitor accessibility, the glass pavilion will connect the museum’s two historic buildings — the landmark 1932 Main Building and the Mark Building, a former Masonic temple renovated by PAM in 2005 — creating streamlined circulation across all four floors of gallery space.

The pavilion is named in honor of renowned abstract artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970) who spent his childhood in Portland.

The project team includes architects Vinci Hamp in collaboration with Hennebery Eddy Architects; Mortenson is serving as the project’s developer and builder. To date, Mortenson on-site craftworkers have worked over 237,000 hours without an injury.