diff --git a/src/common/layout/optima/portals/OptimaPortalIn.tsx b/src/common/layout/optima/portals/OptimaPortalIn.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c18b47995
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/layout/optima/portals/OptimaPortalIn.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import * as React from 'react';
+import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
+
+import { OptimaPortalId, usePortalElement } from './store-optima-portals';
+
+
+export function OptimaPortalIn(props: {
+  targetPortalId: OptimaPortalId;
+  children: React.ReactNode;
+}) {
+
+  // react to the portal being made available
+  const portalElement = usePortalElement(props.targetPortalId);
+  if (!portalElement)
+    return null;
+
+  return createPortal(props.children, portalElement);
+}
diff --git a/src/common/layout/optima/portals/store-optima-portals.ts b/src/common/layout/optima/portals/store-optima-portals.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d2a90e63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/layout/optima/portals/store-optima-portals.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { create } from 'zustand';
+
+
+// module configuration
+const DEBUG_OPTIMA_PORTALS = false;
+
+
+export type OptimaPortalId =
+  | 'optima-portal-drawer'
+  | 'optima-portal-properties'
+  | 'optima-portal-toolbar'
+  ;
+
+interface PortalState {
+  portalElements: Map<OptimaPortalId, HTMLElement>;
+}
+
+interface PortalActions {
+  addPortal: (id: OptimaPortalId, element: HTMLElement) => void;
+  removePortal: (id: OptimaPortalId) => void;
+}
+
+type PortalStore = PortalState & PortalActions;
+
+
+const useOptimaPortalsStore = create<PortalStore>((set, get) => ({
+
+  // init state
+  portalElements: new Map(),
+
+  // actions
+  addPortal: (id, element) => set((state) => {
+    const newPortals = new Map(state.portalElements);
+    newPortals.set(id, element);
+    if (DEBUG_OPTIMA_PORTALS)
+      console.log(' > store.addPortal', id, !!element);
+    return { portalElements: newPortals };
+  }),
+
+  removePortal: (id) => set((state) => {
+    const newPortals = new Map(state.portalElements);
+    newPortals.delete(id);
+    if (DEBUG_OPTIMA_PORTALS)
+      console.log(' < store.removePortal', id);
+    return { portalElements: newPortals };
+  }),
+
+}));
+
+
+export function optimaPortalsActions(): PortalActions {
+  return useOptimaPortalsStore.getState();
+}
+
+export function usePortalElement(id: OptimaPortalId) {
+  return useOptimaPortalsStore((state) => state.portalElements.get(id) || null);
+}
diff --git a/src/common/layout/optima/portals/useOptimaPortalOut.tsx b/src/common/layout/optima/portals/useOptimaPortalOut.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..765ac4e7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/layout/optima/portals/useOptimaPortalOut.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import * as React from 'react';
+
+import { OptimaPortalId, optimaPortalsActions } from './store-optima-portals';
+
+
+/**
+ * Note: this hook assumes that the ref is created by when useLayoutEffect is called,
+ * and will warn otherwise.
+ */
+export function useOptimaPortalOut(portalTargetId: OptimaPortalId, debugCallerName: string) {
+
+  // state
+  const ref = React.useRef<HTMLElement>(null);
+
+  React.useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    const { addPortal, removePortal } = optimaPortalsActions();
+    if (!ref.current) {
+      console.warn(`useOptimaPortalOut: ref.current is null for type ${portalTargetId} (called by ${debugCallerName})`);
+    } else {
+      addPortal(portalTargetId, ref.current);
+    }
+    return () => removePortal(portalTargetId);
+  }, [debugCallerName, portalTargetId]);
+
+  return ref;
+}
+
+/*
+// This version will add the portal only when really getting the ref
+export function useOptimaPortalOut(portalTargetId: OptimaPortalId, debugCallerName: string) {
+
+  const setRef = React.useCallback((node: HTMLElement | null) => {
+    const { addPortal, removePortal } = optimaPortalsActions();
+    console.log('useOptimaPortalOut.setRef', portalTargetId, node);
+    if (node) {
+      console.log(' - useOptimaPortalOut call AddPortal', portalTargetId);
+      addPortal(portalTargetId, node);
+    } else {
+      removePortal(portalTargetId);
+    }
+  }, [portalTargetId]);
+
+  return setRef;
+}
+*/
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