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MC Smith Building Lauded for Modernization Design

Entry pavilion of the MC Smith FB, Bangor, ME

The newly renovated entry pavilion at the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building was not only designed with security in mind, but to make a memorable first impression on visitors. It was this pavilion that wowed the jurors of the American Institute of Architects Chicago 2017 Design Excellence Awards.

Because of this, the MC Smith building in Bangor, Maine took home the Divine Detail Award for its 2015 courthouse modernization.

According to the vision of the lead designer, Thomas Hoepf, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), “The beacon-like Pavilion is a transparent jewel in contrast to the opacity of the original building. It slips behind the historic canopies and “spans” across flanking intimate gardens - as a bridge marking the threshold into the sacred domain of the Courthouse.”

The MC Smith building was one of two federal buildings to win this award – the other was located in St. Louis, Missouri.

“This is a very challenging program,” one juror commented. “Federal projects like these with a limited budget and combination preservation/addition requirements are tough.” But, jurors said, the project team did a good job with the articulation of the white concrete frame as an abstract element in the original building and reinterpreting it in steel in the pavilion.

The five-year renovation of the courthouse, originally built in 1968, included canopy and facade restoration, incorporation of a single security checkpoint and construction of a new entry pavilion using space originally configured as separate court and post office entries.

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Last updated: Jun 24, 2019
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