Maine Maritime Museum Lens Room

BATH, MAINE

CLIENT
Maine Maritime Museum

ZACHAU'S ROLE
Construction Manager

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Barba + Wheelock

CHALLENGE MET
Created a space that positions a treasured Maine icon within the multimedia environment that illuminates its past

Building a gallery designed to simulate the view from a historic Maine lighthouse allowed Zachau’s passion for educational construction to shine. The Maine Maritime Museum’s 600-square-foot Lens Room was built to display a valuable second-order Fresnel lens. The beacon once guided ships into Portland from its tower on one of the “Two Lights” in Cape Elizabeth that stands at the entrance to Casco Bay. The immersive exhibit was constructed around a full-scale replica of the original tower’s lantern room. That freestanding structure is centered within the curved walls of a multimedia showcase that projects time-lapse videography upon its 180-degree screen. Views revolve to indicate changes of both weather and the seasons. A copper roof and slate siding put a weather-tight wrap on an inviting, informative space that highlights a bright symbol of Maine maritime history.