Pennsbury Manor Visitor’s Center
Client: PA Historic & Museum Commission
Size: 15,140 s.f.
Pennsbury Manor house, the country estate established by William Penn upon arrival to North America, is not as old as one might think; in fact it is younger than most buildings in Philadelphia today. The colonial-styled brick and wood building that stands today was completed in 1938 upon the foundations of the original which was finished in the early 1700’s. By the 1730’s the estate was in a dire state of disrepair and did not survive to the 20th century.
Driven by the success of sites such as Colonial Williamsburg that gripped the public’s imagination, what stands today is a reconstruction of the original based on limited archaeological and historical evidence, and much of the design and aesthetics have been inferred from the expertise of the architect.
Building from this tone, the new visitors center strives to evoke qualities of colonial architecture while remaining a contemporary work. In a similar fashion as the manor house, the new was built upon the foundations of the original mid-century visitor’s center, but was greatly expanded to accommodate additional program elements including museum, auditorium, offices, gift shop and other public amenities.
Similar to the manor house the building is constructed of timber framing, and is clad on the front façade in brick and transitions to lap siding in the back. This is re-interpreted in a contemporary way by exposing the framing on the inside corridor and carrying it through to the outside pergolas that extend outwards, guiding visitors from the parking area through to the gardens. Just as the manor house is indicative of ideals surrounding historic architecture of the 1930’s so too does the new visitors center express contemporary understandings of history and place, providing a flexible backdrop to interpret both the legacy of William Penn as well as the archaeological process that went in to recreating his home and grounds.