The fully glazed pavilion adds 100,000 sf of new gallery and public space, maximizing transparency while maintaining environmental comfort, durability, and resilience in the Pacific Northwest climate.
Retained by PAM, RDH provided building enclosure consulting services during construction, including extensive water and air-leakage testing of fenestration and curtain wall systems, as well as quality assurance review, and testing of air and weather barrier installations at opaque walls. Early in construction, RDH’s scope expanded to include third-party below-grade waterproofing warranty review.
The pavilion enclosure features the ARCADIA T500 – TI Beam 3 Series curtain wall system, which forms the majority of the four-story glazed facade. The curtain wall interfaces with new Italian travertine stone panel materials that match the museum’s existing stonework. Opaque wall assemblies incorporate Henry VP160 with thermally efficient furring to support rainscreen cladding, exterior insulation, and a drained cavity. Cladding materials include composite metal panels, stone veneer, and structurally glazed glass panels.
RDH conducted installation reviews and performed adhesion and water penetration resistance testing on the air and water-resistive barrier systems. The RDH Portland team completed over 70 site visits and issued 71 inspection reports on the CETCO below-grade waterproofing system, reviewing substrate preparation, drainage panels, and CETCO COREFLEX membrane installation. The review confirmed conformance with CETCO’s installation requirements for the HydroShield NDL warranty.
By integrating high-performance enclosure strategies with thoughtful urban design, the Rothko Pavilion delivers a durable addition that enhances the museum experience and supports long-term public use.
