Having outgrown its previous facility, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine tasked Bruner/Cott Architects with designing a playful, colorful façade to celebrate the heritage and natural landscape of Thompson’s Point and engage the riverfront.

In creating the building form, the architects studied the Point’s historic brick structures to reproduce the proportions, rhythm and fenestration pattern in the design.

Located along the Fore River, west of downtown Portland, steel cross-bracing references the site’s industrial and shipping heritage. The braces are exposed in the main gathering and exhibit spaces and provide seismic force resistance.

A proportion of the enclosure is glass curtainwall with the majority of the cladding made of aluminum tiles.

“Comprised of painted metal shingles, the exterior boasts a playful, bold pattern inspired by the patterns of Maine’s regional ecosystem,” says Jason Forney, FAIA, partner and principal at Bruner/Cott Architects. The tiles are predominantly Cityscape and Weathered Zinc, with strategical pops of Slate Blue Steel and Stone White.

The tiles appear to shift from cream to mottled grays, with splashes of sea/sky-blue.

“The overall exterior design expression was inspired by patterns found in nature: ripples on the water, wings of a butterfly, scales of a fish and bark on a tree,” explains Forney.

Coated in a 1-mil-thick fluropolymer (PVDF) two coat system with a 0.2-mil primer and 0.8-mil Kynar 500 (70%) solid color coat, the aluminum tiles measure 7 1/4-inch by 6 3/16- inch. A two-man crew installed all the metal shingles at a rate of approximately 500 tiles per day.

Metal is also featured in the entrance vestibule in the form of a 4-mm-thick ALUCOBOND PLUS metal composite material (MCM) with a fire-retardant core in Tuscan Sun.

The primary structural system is steel post and beam, with metal stairs and railings appearing through the museum.

Meeting the museum’s goal of expanding its programming and services, the 30,000-square-foot building includes a 100-seat theater, exhibits, classroom and maker space, meeting rooms and offices. The site also features an outdoor play area adjacent to the waterfront.

Situated on the site is a former railway repair yard, an interesting aspect of the project was working with the existing fill soil. Because removing the soil and placing it with structural soil would have been cost prohibitive, the decision was made to preload the compact soil.

Other sustainable design strategies include a well-insulated enclosure, low-wattage LED lighting, a variable refrigeration flow system for heating and cooling, and a radiant floor in the main lobby.

Featuring a variety of exhibits, performances and activities like water play, crafts and play acting, the museum is drawing locals and tourists alike.