When construction is complete, the $800 million Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., will be about 12 stories high, but will only have six levels with ceilings approximately 20 feet high. The 430,000-square-foot building was previously used as a refrigeration warehouse and was built in 1923. Clark Construction will construct a two-story zinc-and-glass volume shaped like an ark on top of the building. There will also be a 500-seat performing arts center, ballroom, and special events gallery that will overlook the National Mall. The three main exhibition floors will be dedicated to the Bible's impact, narrative, and history. They will house some 44,000 Biblical artifacts collected by the President of Hobby Lobby Steve Green, including cuneiform tablets and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls. A one-story addition will also be added to the adjacent Washington Office Center for offices, classrooms, and residences for visiting scholars. A connection between the two buildings will be constructed, but the Museum of the Bible's floor in the Washington Office Center will be closed off to the public. According to Vice President of SmithGroupJJR David Greenbaum, the project is on track to complete on time by 2017.
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