Within Judd Foundation’s marathon that is stewarding Donald Judd’s imprint and legacy in Marfa, getting each phase of its Marfa Restoration Plan over the finish line is an accomplishment. Unveiling what is identified as the North Apartment is the most recent milestone, following the reopening of the multidisciplinary artist and architect’s restored Architecture Office this past September in downtown Marfa, Texas.
Explore Judd Foundation's North Apartment in Marfa, Texas
'The North Apartment is important to our own understanding of how we engage the public. What are the ways in which we can approach his work in new contexts? In differentiating between the permanently installed spaces – those completed by Don – and newly finished spaces by the foundation, there is a fresh perspective to be found in the understanding of his work,' explains Rainer Judd, president of Judd Foundation. 'It demonstrates how Judd Foundation continues to evolve while maintaining its commitment to his artistic legacy.'
The North Apartment and Judd Foundation Storefront, which, as of last month, functions as a visitor centre and flexible space facing Highland Avenue adjacent to the ground-floor Architecture Office, are among the rare components of the Marfa Restoration Plan that proceeded without a Donald Judd-created blueprint and/or extensive existing documentation.
The masonry Glascock Building, constructed around the turn of the 20th century and purchased by Judd in 1990, now contains both Judd’s original installations and these sensitive contemporary interventions, of which the North Apartment is a culmination of the rehabilitation effort. The flexibility built into the organisation’s Marfa Restoration Plan 'has allowed us to essentially create new spaces for programmatic and foundation purposes within these historic buildings', adds Richard Griggs, COO of Judd Foundation.
The two-bedroom, 1,078 sq ft North Apartment unit occupies the second level of the Glascock Building, opposite the corridor from the Architecture Office Apartment (also known as the Chamberlain Apartment). The undertaking augments the seven-year restoration and rebuilding of the Architecture Office, which was complicated by the 2021 fire that occurred mid-construction. To shape this compact interior, a degree of interpretation was necessary to restore it for overnight accommodations supporting scholars, artists, and others visiting Judd Foundation sites, as well as Archives and Collections (the entirety of Judd’s archives is held in Marfa).
This development aligns with the organisation's approach to building multi-pronged programmes that serve diverse goals to support access, from operating docent-led public tours to welcoming researchers. The North Apartment posed a delicate task to Schaum Architects, GK Engineers, historic building consultants Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, general contractors Method Building Company and RC Concepts, and others involved from concept to execution.
'The research and rigour required from our team to complete the project set a standard as to how artists’ intentions can be respected,' Rainer Judd observes. 'The restoration of this space required the rigorous application of Judd’s preservation ethos and established the importance of balancing historic elements with contemporary use needs.'
A simpatico spirit guided the team’s interior material palette and furnishing selections. New authentic pieces, including textiles from Belgian brand Libeco, ‘Model 65’ chairs, ‘Model 81’ tables, and ‘109c’ coat racks by Alvar Aalto for Artek, and Donald Judd Furniture plywood variations of ‘Chair 84’, the ‘Las Casas Bench’, and ‘Summer Bed 121’, maintain a judicious presence and purpose. The kitchen, outfitted with an upgraded skylight, occupies a former hallway, where an arch and an awkward partial wall were removed to accommodate a counter, sink, food prep area and storage cabinet, and closets.
Widely available Douglas fir, which architect Troy Schaum points to as 'the kind of material Donald Judd would describe as 'at hand', was used for much of the cabinetry and built-ins, such as a new storage bench inspired by vernacular Norwegian traditions in the reorganised landing area. A repurposed 1920s vintage clawfoot tub repurposed from Judd’s Ranch Office stands in the adjacent hall near the upgraded existing bathroom that is awash in natural light. Pine floors and white plaster walls and ceilings organically coexist.
'Donald Judd’s buildings and furniture were imagined and used as complete spaces. They were for working, reflecting, socialising, eating, sleeping – living, broadly defined,' says Schaum. 'This space brings this varied use back into a Judd building that is both ‘installed with work to be viewed’ and occupied with a broader scope of inhabitants.'
With 21 buildings in Marfa and over 50,000 sq ft of permanently installed space, ongoing maintenance, repair, and restoration of Judd Foundation’s physical assets translates to a juggling act of competing demands. Other recent achievements include the restoration of environmental systems at The Block, and the aforementioned Ranch Office will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Intensive repairs to the interior and exterior of Judd’s Architecture Studio are on the horizon, and Judd Foundation has set future sights on the Print Building, Judd’s final purchase, where plans remained unrealised prior to his death in 1994. The North Apartment steps into a key role within the big picture. 'Spaces for staff and support personnel to stay and meet are in short supply, and these spaces that are not installed but support the installed spaces are critical,' Schaum comments.
'Don knew that architecture must serve a purpose. It has to consider the people who use it and the community it sits in. The Architecture Office had to follow the same considerations. This building is not only historically significant, but it is also a central part of Marfa’s main street and day-to-day activities,' Rainer Judd says of the Glascock Building site. 'There is a lot of good that can come from good architecture.'
