Originally built in 1922, this eight-story historic building was restored, adapted, and expanded nearly a century later to become the Museum of the Bible, a state-of-the-art, 430,000 sq ft cultural destination.

The redevelopment preserved key elements of the original concrete structure and historic façade while adding three new levels of construction above. To meet modern museum requirements, significant modifications were undertaken. Every other floor and select columns were removed to create the increased floor-to-ceiling heights essential for immersive, large-scale exhibits.

The high-tech museum is four blocks from the U.S. Capitol and three blocks from the Air and Space Museum, and features permanent exhibits on the history and impact of the Bible as well as interactive features to bring viewers into Bible stories and characters.

Project Highlights:

Although a significant portion of the existing concrete building and its historic façade were preserved, much of the new construction centered on demolition of existing construction as well as strengthening and repairing the old concrete structure.

KLINE was retained by the contractor to review specialty engineering associated with demolition, temporary shoring of the concrete frame and façade, and shoring during concrete repair work, including:

• Demolition & Shoring Review: Peer review of specialty engineering associated with concrete demolition and temporary shoring of both the historic façade and existing concrete frame.

• Structural Modifications: Review of temporary support systems required during structural repairs, including shoring strategies that enabled the safe removal of a primary supporting column extending from the roof to the foundation.

• Monumental Stair: Peer review of the structural design for the museum’s monumental stair, a central design element integral to the visitor experience.