CASE STUDY

Newseum 1st Amendement Wall

The Newseum is an interactive museum that promotes free expression and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. It features highly inventive modern architectural design, and perhaps the most critical aspect of its facade is the 1st Amendment Wall, which displays the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.

This large tablet of 6″ and 3″ thick Tennessee pink marble measures 74′ tall x 66′ wide utilizing two finishes; a traditional sandblasted finish which matches the East & West Wings of the adjacent National Gallery of Art Museum buildings, along with an inventive grooved or corduroy finish which is a series of parallel 1/4″ deep grooves sandblasted into the face of the marble cladding.

The highly detailed graphic design was produced and proofed by Rugo draftsman, and all the stone engraving was performed in Rugo Stone’s marble shop. The entire tablet is floating on a secondary miscellaneous steel structure, designed, fabricated, and erected by Rugo craftsman. The tablet wall appears to be floating away from the main curtainwall facade.

Rugo’s team of skilled riggers and masons erected all the panels with a combination of a mobile crane and a custom-designed mono-rail and chain hoist system. The project also includes two sizeable walls clad in limestone and various uses of interior stone in the residential portion of the project.

2008 Washington Building Congress Award Winner for Exterior Stone Craftsmanship

Location: Washington, DC
Completion: 2007
Owner: Freedom Foundation
Architect: Polshek Partnership
General Contractor: Turner Construction
Size: 4,000 sqft
Services: Design, fabricate, engrave, and install stone and secondary support steel

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“What a great experience! Every interaction from the first visit to the final inspection was professional and service oriented. They took the time to help us find the perfect stone and then had an installation team that was extremely detail-oriented and friendly. I know they do larger projects than ours but they made us feel very appreciated. Thank you to Brett Rugo, Sam Arcot and the rest of the team!  We would most certainly use and recommend you again!!”

“Your mason was an artist and a master craftsman! Wow — he really did an amazing job on our challenging project!”

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“One of the things that impressed me so much about Brett, his meticulousness, his desire, his passion to do it right the first time.”

“I know how meticulous [Brett] is in his craftsmanship. That’s really a dying art, not just in the stone business, or my business, but throughout the construction industry.”

“I think Brett is the most knowledgeable guy that I know in the stone business and is extremely passionate about the stone industry. He’s taught me a great deal––by taking me to stone quarries, explaining everything from installation to fabrication. He’s just been a walking book of knowledge on stone.”

“With Rugo Stone and with Brett Rugo, you’ll have someone who is reliable, thorough, dedicated, efficient, and will work to perfection. He will not stop until everything is done the way it’s supposed to be done. Brett is one of those individuals who, whenever you ask for something, he comes through on it, and he is willing and able to please.”

“Brett is a driven individual, and so therefore, he has wanted to make sure that everything he does is done just right.”

“Brett has thankfully achieved a great name for himself and for his company, and he is known for his quality, craftsmanship work, that no matter where he goes, no matter what he does, it’s going to be done to perfection.”

“We can judge the tree by the fruit it bears, and this holds true for Rugo Stone. The work speaks for itself, and it is pretty exceptional. The entire organization has a real commitment to quality, from the shop drawings, to engineering, material sourcing, fabrication, and then installation, and that commitment is reflected in the end result.”

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We lend a sophisticated aesthetic and world-class expertise to large scale and special projects. Clients include religious, civic, cultural and educational institutions, public agencies, private developers, major corporations, and individuals.

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