New Castle County Library

Brandywine Hundred Library in New Castle County

The Brandywine Hundred Library in New Castle is designed by Studio Hillier and features a Zahner manufactured colonnade with a custom copper patina. The building’s forms recall a historic aesthetic, while its large windows emphasize its natural setting.

Strongly rooted in the landscape and history of the Brandywine Valley, the new 40,000 gross square foot library serves as a 21st century meeting house, expressing and enhancing modern interconnectivity.

The project includes a custom patinated copper canopy which was fabricated by Zahner for the building’s entry soffit. 290 sheets of copper were processed to develop a unique and rustic patina across its surface. This is an early architectural example of custom preweathered patina on copper.

At the end of the colonnade, an outdoor amphitheater creates the library’s storytelling center. The building is composed of two parts—the smaller encompassing the community center, the larger housing the library’s 100,000 volumes, including a reading area with fireplace. The building is fully wired for computers, accommodates 350, and features a 50-seat café and 200-car secure parking lot.