Following over a year of closure for restoration works, the Rothko Chapel in Houston has now reopened to the public. The well known sacred space was dedicated in 1971 and features 14 monumental Mark Rothko canvases as per the original vision of the artist and John and Dominique de Menil, the Chapel’s founders.
The project is just the first phase of Opening Spaces, a $30-million master plan for its campus, conceived by New York-based firm, Architecture Research Office. The firm also oversaw the structure's restoration.
During this process, the building's skylight, lighting design and entryway were reconfigured to be better aligned with the project's original aim so that visitors can freely interact with the artworks. The lighting adjustments were made by specialist design firm George Sexton Associates. Changes have included removing obstructions in order to allow natural light in the open plan interior.
Complementing the chapel, this September also saw the opening of the Suzanne Deal Booth Welcome House, a new built pavilion, which sits immediately to the north of the Chapel. This addition serves as a gathering point for the monument, as well as a formal welcoming space for groups and guided tours and an area for interactive educational opportunities. It also includes a gift shop and bookstore.
The surrounding landscape was redesigned by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, providing ample and serene, green space. A sculpture, Broken Obelisk by Barnett Newman, also sits on the grounds, dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1971 – the same year as the Chapel’s founding.
This highlights the chapel's commitment to human rights and social justice. The structure has always served as an open spiritual space for both solitude and gathering, dedicated to ‘increased opportunities for spiritual growth and dialogue,' says the institution - welcoming to all, regardless of faith, spiritual or religious background.
INFORMATION
-
Frank Traynor makes everyday objects extraordinaryFrank Traynor’s ‘A Can Opener of Myself’ – a ‘maximalist, minimalist contradiction’ of adorned objects – is at The Future Perfect, New York (until 31 December 2023)
-
New M&C Saatchi Berlin office interiors embrace bold colour
Llot Llov’s M&C Saatchi Berlin office interiors bring a shot of colour to their brutalist setting
-
Comme Si’s first store in Brooklyn is a design lover’s temple to socks
Sock and loungewear brand Comme Si launches a temporary Brooklyn store, a rich and inviting space created with designers Elias Studio, John Sohn and Yoonjee Kwak
-
MetroEighteen’s office and showroom in Los Angeles is conceived as a home
MetroEighteen by Holm Studio is a project that consolidates office, showroom and staging warehouse for the leading audio-visual and lighting systems specialist in Los Angeles
-
David Zwirner office in New York is a flexible, minimalist haven by Annabelle Selldorf
Step inside the ultra-flexible and minimalist David Zwirner office in New York, designed by Selldorf Architects
-
Kurt Rappaport invites us into his refreshed Beverly Hills office
Dan Brunn reinvents real-estate magnate Kurt Rappaport’s Beverly Hills office in Los Angeles
-
Lose yourself in 550 Madison and Snøhetta’s public garden
Snøhetta designs a new public garden for 550 Madison in New York
-
Part Office creates minimalist live/work space in heart of Venice Beach
Los Angeles architects Part Office transformed a former residential building into Venice Lofts, a minimalist live/work space
-
Four One Nine is a socially minded space for the San Francisco creative scene
Four One Nine by Síol Studios blends creativity with nature, light and a social purpose
-
Architecture studio Undecorated’s lateral thinking shakes up Detroit
The American Midwest has been shaking up the world of architecture. Among emerging practices pioneering change is Detroit-based Undecorated, founded by Ishtiaq Rafiuddin and profiled here as part of our Next Generation 2022 project
-
T+E+A+M brings practical rethinking to Ann Arbor and beyond
The American Midwest has been shaking up the world of architecture. Profiled as part of our Next Generation 2022 project, T+E+A+M, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, is among emerging practices pioneering change
