Campus Bookstore & Development Office - University of Delaware

Located in downtown Newark, the project included the construction of a new main campus bookstore and development offices for the University of Delaware.  The project contributes to a successful “town and gown” relationship between the City of Newark and the University of Delaware, promoting the symbiotic relationship of public and retail space. This is achieved through the strategic placement of the book store at a prominent site on the edge of the University campus and the construction of welcoming spaces for both the university and the town. A landscaped plaza integrates the new structure with the historic Christiana School District Building and three neighboring Georgian structures. 

The project explores how the placeless big-box retail experience can be reconsidered by integrating the structure into an urban space among several historic structures in the heart of downtown Newark, at the edge of the University of Delaware Campus.

Sited amongst several historic structures, this project creates a significant public plaza that connects East Main Street and Academy Street while providing principal ample frontage for the Bookstore, an exterior gathering space for University of Delaware students, Newark residents and visitors alike.  The historic Christina School Building was restored and incorporated into the Bookstore as a double-height cafe. 

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