Brandywine River Museum
Brandywine Conservancy

Architect
GWWO Architects

Size
14,140 sq. ft. (new museum)
7,859 sq. ft. (renovated museum)
6,584 sq. ft. (Weymouth Building)
25,351 sq. ft. (Maintenance Building)

Project Goals

To construct an addition to the historical Museum that would both assimilate into the lush natural environment, as well as provide technological safeguards to the irreplaceable
artwork stored within.

The Brandywine River Museum’s new addition features offices, vaults, classrooms, a library, new mechanical space, bookstore storage, two distinct loading docks, workrooms for the restoration of artwork and more. All six phases of the project were completed 24 days ahead of schedule.
The museum’s HVAC system controls conditions to within 2 percent of the humidity requirements and within 2 degrees of the temperature requirements to maintain the integrity of the artwork and other archived documents.

The exterior reflective glass curtain wall in the radius of the new addition provides a reflection of the surrounding natural foliage, which prevents the structure from appearing obtrusive in the lush environment.

The project included the construction of two other brand new buildings - the 6,584 square foot Weymouth (administration) Building and the 25,351 square foot Maintenance Building - which were being constructed simultaneously with the Museum addition. This allowed for the efficient use of manpower and equipment between all aspects of the project - another factor that contributed to the project being completed ahead of schedule.

Affiliated with Bancroft Homes, Inc.