Museum of the Bible Project
409 Third Street SW C-700
Washington, DC 20024
In a city overlooking majestic symbols, historical events each carved in stone and concrete for all to see, the true representation of who we are and our beginnings. The finite location for the ultimate historical record open for all to witness, The Museum of the Bible.
The Museum of the Bible is an innovative, global, educational institution providing an unparalleled experience by creating one of the world’s most technologically advanced museums. In one of the exhibits, visitors journey back in time to The World of Jesus of Nazareth, a village with stone walls, dirt floors, olive trees, and flickering oil lamps. Hear the wood carts in the distance, take in the hand-painted mural of the Sea of Galilee and experience an environment inspired by the settings of the events in the Bible, the book that shapes history.
There are very few that can capture and recreate these moments for all to share and enjoy. The challenge put the right people and the right products together to bring the vision to life. That vision was cast by the museum president Cary Summers and was designed by Jonathan Martin of JMC: Museum Arts LLC, renowned for his imagination and attention to detail. JMC contacted Sundek of Washington with a challenge. “Can you make floors look like dirt”? Not dirty floors, a decorative overlay on an elevated cast in the concrete slab that looks and feels like dirt. Challenge accepted. Over the next few months, JMC and Sundek engaged in a series of meetings, site visits, and concepts to fully understand the impact this decorative dirt floor will have playing its part ensuring visitors a realistic immersive experience.
To create the village floor, several Sundek products were considered and samples presented in an effort to capture the right color tone’s, shadowing and flow. This was not to be a perfect decorative overlay floor, but one that had to be installed perfectly. The decorative overlay product of JMC’s choice was Sundek SunStone system. The next step in this process for final approval was to do a live sample on the floor at the project. This floor sample would be in place for the generous benefactors responsible for the funding of the project. Sundek of Washington’s Bob Miller and Guadalupe Velazquez assembled their team for this critical step. The existing cast in place floor was a hard-troweled finish which required a surface grind using 25 grit diamonds to archive the profile for the needed bond. Special dust evacuation equipment equipped with pre-cyclone collectors were used to assure a dust-free operation. The mixing of the material was done in a specially constructed chamber to minimize any impact. Carefully the sample material was placed to the correct elevation points yielding the granular look. Once cured, Sundek returned to apply the topcoat staining and sealing again under JMC’s watchful eye.
Acceptance, three weeks had passed awaiting the visit from the benefactors, then the call for approval. Sundek of Washington was given the green light to prepare for the installation.
Sundek of Washington assembled its installation force for the install, commissioned with one small item. It had to be a consentient overlay process with no joints or bulkheads. This project is under a high security watch each worker attending a safety meeting and background checks. Planning was critical from the delivery of the material on site to unloading into the freight elevator to the routing in the corridors to the location. Eighteen installation technicians, three mixing technicians and the supervision needed to assure that each mixed batch of SunStone was per specification and put in place immediately to ensure no variation for in place product. Five of Sundek of Washington’s best hand trowel men lead by Guadalupe worked in harmony placing each hand carried a five-
gallon pail of mixed SunStone over the next ten hours, “sculpting the dirt floor”.
The floor was covered for weeks as the final props were placed and lights were installed. Finally, the tools and materials were moved out and the “dirt” floor was revealed. The end results married well with the hand-sculpted bedrock and limestone walls throughout and the exhibit was as convincing as imagined.
To talk to Sundek about your next project, contact them at (866) 631-8664.
14121 Parke Long Court Suite #109
Chantilly, VA 20151
www.sundekofwashington.com
photos courtesy of Sundek of Washington