Rothko Chapel is officially closed for the rest of the year A multi-million-dollar renovation will allow visitors see the iconic space in a new light, thanks to a new sky light. Author: Stephanie Whitfield Published: 11:13 PM CST March 3, 2019 Updated: 12:27 AM CST March 4, 2019

HOUSTON — The world-renowned Rothko Chapel is officially closed for renovations.

The chapel is a quiet place for reflection and an interfaith community center, which is centered around the artwork of Mark Rothko.

The last round of visitors saw the Houston landmark in its current state for the last time Sunday.

Executive director David Leslie says the famed interfaith chapel will be closed for the next nine months. A multi-million-dollar renovation will allow visitors see the iconic space in a new light, thanks to a new sky light.“When you come in, as part of that journey, you’re also interacting with daylight, sunlight, clouds, and the movement of the sky," Leslie said. "We’ll be removing the baffle. There’s that beautiful popcorn ceiling, and that’ll go back to the original plaster.”

There will also be new landscaping and a brand-new welcome center for the more than 100,000 visitors who go to the chapel every year.

Rothko Chapel programming will continue offsite for the next several months.

The Houston landmark will reopen in early 2019.