The New Bedford Whaling Museum (NBWM) selected Machado Silvetti to develop a comprehensive long range master plan for its entire campus, including a conceptual design for a new expansion. Notable for its large and diverse collection, the NBWM houses, among other pieces, four complete whale-skeletons; “The Grand Panorama of a Whaling Voyage ’Round the World”, the longest painting in North America; and the half-scale model of the whaling ship, Lagoda, the largest model ship in the world. 

The Master Plan prioritized a seamless integration of the new property into a contiguous and visitor-centric whole of the campus, with the goal of further positioning the museum as a cultural destination.  

The William St. Expansion project, the first phase of the Master Plan, is located on a newly acquired site, directly across from the NBWM’s existing entrance. As part of the master planning effort, the team studied a wide range of options for the project’s size and siting, and designed the expansion to integrate holistically into the existing complex. The NBWM’s dynamic new welcome and exhibition center is slated to open in 2026.