Eastern Maine Medical Center

A 275,000 SF addition with a tower orientated to give all the new patient rooms dramatic views stands at the core of the master plan. This project shows a further refinement of the concrete frame approach, with a bolder exploration of its volumetric possibilities. The architecture also reflects the influence of Jose Luis Sert, who was a design studio critic for several of the firm’s partners when they studied at Harvard. The building surmounts its sloped site and opens itself to views of the nearby Penobscot River, and also to generous sunlight for the patient rooms. Formally there is an expression of individual rooms, clusters of rooms, and wings. In 1968, Eastern Maine Medical Center retained Payette to translate a newly formulated program into a facility development plan for the coming decade which would offer minimal interference to the operation of the hospital requiring expert phasing solutions. We observed that the use of the site was unnecessarily constrained and did not take full advantage of the beautiful view of the Penobscot River which edges it. The primary task was to establish easy access and circulation. This objective was achieved by determining “zones of utilization” along a new circulation route linking existing and planned facilities.