Clark to Build Washington, D.C.'s Museum of the Bible

WASHINGTON – Museum of the Bible, Inc., has awarded Clark a $237 million contract for Museum of the Bible. In 2017, Museum of the Bible will open its 430,000-square-foot museum in Washington, D.C. Located just two blocks from the National Mall and three blocks from the Capitol, the 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 includes major renovations and additions to a historic brick building, originally built as a refrigerated warehouse in 1922. The brick façade of the warehouse will remain in place, while four of the eight existing structural concrete floors, as well as the roof, will be demolished in order to create greater floor to ceiling space on the  exhibit floors. Underpinning and support of excavation work also will be performed on the historic building, lowering the existing basement five feet to provide additional space for mechanical equipment. Clark also will demolish a non-historic building addition and loading dock 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 will be built above the existing historic and new infill structure and will include a 500-seat performance hall, ballroom, restaurant, and function spaces. These new spaces will be contained within an iconic rooftop element featuring a curving 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 will perform work in the adjacent 450,000 square-foot Washington Office Center, which currently houses the headquarters of the U.S. Small Business Administration. In the below-grade garage, structural demolition will be performed in order to create space for the museum’s central utility plant. Life safety system and elevator upgrades also will be completed within the building. Additionally, a one-story addition will be constructed above the Washington Office Center, and will include residences, offices, and educational facilities for scholars associated with Museum of the Bible.

Clark Foundations is performing the support of excavation and historic façade preservation; Clark Concrete is performing structural concrete work.

The Museum of the Bible is designed to achieve LEED® certification.

Clark has been performing preconstruction services on the project since 2013 and has been acting in a design-assist capacity over the last year. Construction is underway and substantial completion is scheduled for fall of 2017.