University of Maine School of Law Building | |
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General information | |
Architectural style | Brutalist |
Location | 246 Deering Avenue |
Town or city | Portland, ME |
Completed | 1972 |
Owner | University of Maine School of Law |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 8 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Wadsworth, Boston, Dimick, Mercer and Weatherill |
The University of Maine School of Law Building is a former academic building in Portland, Maine. Adjacent to the University of Southern Maine's Portland campus, the 8 story building was designed by the local architectural firm of Wadsworth, Boston, Dimick, Mercer and Weatherill and completed in 1972 at a cost of $2.7 million. It expanded in 1993 to include more space on the first floor to accommodate the law library.[1] It is a rare example of Brutalist architecture in Maine.[2] It was built to house the University of Maine School of Law, which had previously been located downtown at 68 High Street.[2]
In 2017, Architectural Digest named the building one of the 8 ugliest in the United States and called it "a futuristic version of the Roman Colosseum."[3] University employees described the building's architecture and design as "a joke but also a badge" and "rather unfortunate."[2]
In 2023, the Maine School of Law was relocated downtown to a former office building at 300 Fore Street. After 50 years, building no longer houses a law school. The University of Maine anticipates that the vacant law school will eventually be demolished, but there are no final plans to take the building down yet.[4]