CSC, a back-office services company with deep roots in Wilmington, DE, purchased the historic Pennsylvania Railroad Building with a strategic goal to reposition the 115-year-old structure into a transformative workspace.
Challenge
With a vision to strengthen connections between Downtown and the Riverfront through adaptive reuse and modern, touchless technology, reimagining the six-story historic landmark meant balancing preservation with contemporary workplace needs. The building’s original structure, including its thrust block terracotta slab construction, introduced technical complexities, while the design needed to support a new coworking model and attract a diverse user base.
Solution
Our project team designed CSC Station as a coworking hub featuring micro-offices, conference rooms, and open workspace with an industrial, urban character. A departure from CSC’s previous designs, this innovation hub showcases an industrial look and urban feel. The building was stripped back to its core to expose raw materials, while amenities such as a social café, lounge areas, and a two-story lobby create an engaging, flexible environment.
Outcome
The result is a coworking hub that offers different types of memberships to enable business activity and accommodate broad user needs. Located next to the Wilmington Train Station, it serves as a business anchor to bring together project teams and corporate clients while promoting Wilmington to commuters.
A new communicating stair was strategically positioned through 3D modelling to visually connect two floors and create the social heart of the coworking environment.
Located next to Wilmington Train Station, CSC Station serves as a business hub connecting project teams, entrepreneurs, and corporate clients from across the East Coast.
CSC, a company that provides businesses with legal, tax and digital branding support, with deep roots in Wilmington, DE, purchased the local Pennsylvania Railroad Building with a strategic goal to reposition the 115-year-old, six-story historic building into a transformative workspace. The vision was to establish the Downtown and Riverfront connectivity through an innovative design that would support adaptive reuse and modern touchless technology.
NORR, a long-time CSC partner, was engaged to design the coworking space, branded CSC Station, that forms a combination of micro-offices, conference rooms and open workspace. A departure from CSC’s previous workplace designs, this innovation hub showcases an industrial look and urban feel that features exposed concrete and plaster ceilings. The building was stripped down to its core elements to create the desired raw look. Originally designed by American Architect Frank Furness, a unique but challenging feature of the building is thrust block terracotta slab construction, which required structural modifications. A communicating stair was strategically placed in the heart of the coworking space to create a sense of connection between the two floors and to activate the space. A 3D study provided guidance on the exact stair location to connect the spaces visually. Amenities, such as an open lounge area, social cafe and a welcoming 2-story lobby, serves a variety of users from CSC’s own employees to mobile entrepreneurs in a unique setting.
CSC Station offers several different types of memberships to enable business activity and accommodate user needs. Located next to the Wilmington Train Station, it also serves as a business anchor to bring together project teams from along the East Coast, support corporate clients from outside the state that have business in Delaware, and promote Wilmington to commuters.
