We've partnered with the best construction and design teams in the world to make Museum of the Bible an engaging, inviting, and innovative place that people all over the world will want to visit.
Located just two blocks from the National Mall and three blocks from the Capitol, the 430,000 square-foot museum is designed to provide guests with an immersive and personalized experience as they explore the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible.
Clark’s scope of work included major renovations and additions to a historic brick building, originally built as a refrigerated warehouse in 1922. The brick façade of the warehouse remained in place, while four of the eight existing structural concrete floors, as well as the roof, were demolished in order to create greater floor to ceiling space on the exhibit floors. Underpinning and support of excavation work also was performed on the historic building, lowering the existing basement five feet to provide additional space for mechanical equipment.
A non-historic building addition and loading dock were demolished to make way for two levels of below-grade space and a new concrete structure with a custom handmade brick and channel glass façade. An additional three levels of new construction was built above the existing historic and new infill structure, and includes a 500-seat performance hall, ballroom, restaurant, and function spaces. These new spaces are contained within an iconic rooftop element, featuring a curved aluminum framed glazed curtain wall assembly, with channel glass infill, skylights, zinc batten panel roofing, and a green roof system.
Concurrent with the activities in the historic building, Clark also performed work in the adjacent 450,000 square-foot Washington Office Center, which houses the headquarters of the U.S. Small Business Administration. In the below-grade garage, structural demolition created space for the museum’s central utility plant. Life safety system and elevators were also upgraded within the building. Additionally, a one-story addition above the Washington Office Center includes residences, offices, and educational facilities for scholars associated with Museum of the Bible.
Clark Foundations performed the support of excavation and historic façade preservation; Clark Concrete performed structural concrete work.
The Museum of the Bible is designed to achieve LEED® certification.