PORTLAND, MAINE

Project History
551 Congress Street is located in downtown Portland’s Art
District. The building was designed by brothers Charles N.
and Selig Whinston of New York City. The structure, built in
the late 1920s, is a wonderful example of Art Deco design.
Earlier remodeling and a lightly colored finish had
obscured many of the building’s architectural features.
The present remodeling sought not only to repair the
structure, but to elevate the building’s profile with an
improved storefront design. The building is constructed of
concrete block with sandstone detailing, and was covered
in cracking stucco, which was caused by water infiltration
and repeated freeze/thaw cycles. The stucco was removed,
and a layer of Structural Skin was applied. The concrete
block was then finished with Conpro Lastic, in a shade
much darker than the previous finish. The sandstone repair
work was accomplished with MIMIC, a color-matched
repair mortar for natural stone. The sandstone was then
coated with Conpro Shield W water repellent.

Time Frame – Summer 2006

Architect
Archetype
Architects,
Portland, ME

Contractor
S.D. Szetela
Maine, LLC,
Portland, ME

Distributor
Gagne & Son
Concrete
Block, Inc.,
Belgrade, ME