Historic Rothko Chapel Closes for a Major Rehab Project Before Its 50th Anniversary

Houston , Texas March 06, 2019

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Rothko Chapel is closed while undergoing a restoration and campus enhancement before its 50th anniversary in 2021. Rothko Chapel is closed while undergoing a restoration and campus enhancement before its 50th anniversary in 2021. (ArtfixDaily.com)

The leadership of the Rothko Chapel has announced the start of a year-long construction project that will include the restoration of the historic Rothko Chapel. This represents the first step in the implementation of the Opening Spaces master plan for the Rothko Chapel. The multi-year project will enhance the visitor experience in the Chapel and on its grounds, while developing a campus that offers visitors new experiences, programs and expanded education offerings in harmony with the original vision of Mark Rothko and John and Dominique de Menil, the Chapel’s founders.

Rothko Chapel remains closed through the end of 2019, while it undergoes a comprehensive restoration. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Rothko Chapel is one of the world’s most celebrated sacred spaces. The Chapel is defined by its 14 monumental Mark Rothko canvases that invite spiritual contemplation and engagement regardless of faith, spiritual or religious background.

The Chapel was created to be a space for ecumenical and interfaith celebration and contemplation, as well as a place for community engagement on critical social issues. Cherished by both art lovers and those seeking a place of stillness and reflection, the Chapel welcomes more than 100,000 visitors from more than 100 countries each year.

David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel, reflected, “The Rothko Chapel is the result of John and Dominique de Menil’s philanthropy and care for the world. This project will carry that attitude into the future by restoring the sense of spirituality and contemplation to the Chapel itself and preserving the Rothko paintings, while also allowing us to convene community leaders and members of the public to wrestle with the questions of social justice and human rights. We have never had the room that we need to fulfill the duality of our mission. The Opening Spaces vision is not only about expanded spaces that can welcome more visitors to our campus, but one of richer experiences of the art, contemplation and the type of community engagement embedded in the Chapel’s mission that brings people together across the many boundaries that separate us.”

The Opening Spaces plan has been designed by New York City-based Architecture Research Office, which is overseeing both the restoration of the chapel – with lighting design firm George Sexton Associates- and the expansion of the campus. The plan includes the following aspects:

Chapel Restoration The skylight, lighting design and entryway of the Chapel will be reconfigured in concert with the original concept for the space, allowing for a more personal and better illuminated experience of the intimate space and art that make the Rothko Chapel. Critical preservation initiatives and upgrades to the daylighting design will ensure that Rothko’s extraordinary paintings and the space itself will be experienced as they were originally intended. Among the aspects of the renovation are removing the overhead baffle and replacing the central skylight to allow daylight to permeate the interior.

Welcome Pavilion Envisioned as the gateway to the expanded campus and the Chapel itself, the Welcome Pavilion on land north of the Chapel will reflect the values of hospitality and inclusiveness integral to the founding vision of the Chapel. Included in this building will be interactive educational opportunities, space to meet and orient group visits, and the Chapel’s bookstore.

Landscaping and Infrastructure With a design by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, landscaping and infrastructure improvements will increase the amount of green space available for visitors to enjoy, while reducing susceptibility to flooding and other weather events. An improved plaza setting for Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk is just one of many enhancements to the Chapel grounds that will create new park and garden areas, thereby improving campus access while fostering the sense of sanctuary.

Reflecting on the timing of this $30 million capital campaign, Christopher Rothko, Opening Spaces Chairman, remarked, “This project is long overdue. Correct lighting and ambiance are important for any art installation, but for the spiritual experience envisioned by the de Menils and created in the Rothko Chapel by my father, it is critical. The current renovation will subtly facilitate visitors' engagement with the monumental paintings and sacred space that Rothko considered the pinnacle of his career. We will also greatly enhance our campus, creating more outdoor spaces for reflection and building new facilities that will allow us to carry out our important work on behalf of human rights and interfaith dialogue with renewed dedication and scope. As we approach our 50th anniversary, the work also gives us an opportunity to lift up and celebrate all those who contributed to the design, building and stewardship of the Rothko Chapel including the de Menils, Philip Johnson, Howard Barnstone, Gene Aubrey, Barnett Newman and so many others. All shared a vision that brought together modern art and the sacred space to promote human unity, solidarity, justice and peace. The universality of this vision is so important and relevant for us today and I believe will remain so for generations to come. Herein lies the core reason for the Opening Spaces project.”

Additional construction will commence in 2020. It will include the development of an Administration and Archives Building, a relocated and renovated Guest House, a Meditation Garden, and a Program Center with outdoor spaces, and enhanced landscaping throughout the campus. The goal is to complete the Opening Spaces site development project by 2021 in time for the 50th anniversary of the Rothko Chapel. For more information about the Opening Spaces Master Plan project, Rothko Chapel visiting hours and off-site programming during the renovation, visit the Chapel’s website www.rothkochapel.org or call (713) 524-9839.