Design Profile: WL Gore Capabilities Center | DIGSAU

W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company focused on discovery, product innovation, and a commitment to improving lives. Their Capabilities Center, located in Newark, DE, is an interactive space where customers, partners, and visitors gain insight into Gore and their advanced material capabilities.  

DIGSAU’s adaptation of an existing building choreographs a sequence of experiences that showcase Gore’s capabilities, culture, and commitment to innovation. The design is conceived as a journey through the process of a material’s transformation from its natural state into a highly engineered product. In this way, wood is used as a metaphor for Gore’s product innovation and to recall a connection to the natural world which is at the core of the company’s philosophy.  

The journey begins at the building’s entrance with a highly transparent facade connecting to a view of the landscape beyond from heavy timber seating. Visitors enter the exhibit space through a sculptural corridor featuring motion-triggered lighting elements integrated into a CNC-milled plywood wall evoking an awareness of the transformation from a raw material into a highly-processed product. The passageway serves as a gateway, subtly introducing themes, materials, and visual effects that recur throughout the Capabilities Center. Along the length of the corridor, the wall panels morph from a milled, organic and highly textured surface to a smooth finished panel.  

From apparel to aerospace, the Capabilities Center provides a comprehensive spatial and interpretative experience of Gore’s work. Wood paneled display areas provide the context within the larger space for both low- and high-tech exhibits featuring a combination of objects, video, photography, and dynamic graphics. At the heart of the Capabilities Center is an intimate theatre space clad in wood panels on its exterior and felt on its interior, offering visitors a hands-on experience with an array of Gore products. 

Project: WL Gore Capabilities Center 

Location: Newark, DE  

Client: W. L. Gore & Associates   

Project Size: 8,500 sf 

Project Team:  

DIGSAU (Architects)  

Arup (MEP Engineer)  

Bluecadet (Exhibits) 

Whiting Turner (General Contractor)