Machado Silvetti as part of this study has worked with TIMA to explore opportunities to develop the building as a multi-use space to bring activity and visibility of the collection to the street front, to be able to accommodate either a local foods restaurant or chef in residency program on the ground floor along with a museum entrance, lobby and small retail component. The ground floor is designed as an open floor plan with a new commercial grade kitchen and a flexible movable partition to allow TIMA to use the space for a variety of different events. The ground floor intervention maintains a majority of the existing historical fabric and incorporates a number of archival glass cases that reference the deep commercial storefronts that once lined the building’s ground floor and now showcase the institutions collection as a sort of cabinet of curiosities.

At the second floor, the historic Masonic Hall will be restored to allow TIMA to expand its exhibition space to better share its remarkable and diverse cultural collections that reflect the area’s rich cultural legacy. Museum support spaces are carefully incorporated at this level to fit within the original layout of rooms that create a unique octagonal space overlooking Eastport. The adjacent warehouse of the building will be used for TIMA’s collection storage. The project will add a new elevator at the intersection of the main building and the adjacent warehouse, improving the accessibility for both visitors and art movement. A new opening at this intersection will allow a direct interior connection from the main building’s Water Street entrance to the warehouse entrance on Dana, allowing museum visitors a unique glimpse into the new visible collections storage space before ascending the historic stair to the second floor exhibition space. The project also includes a new fire suppressant sprinkler system, heating system and loading dock.