The Judd Foundation has announced that it plans to complete the restoration of Donald Judd’s Architecture Office, which is one of 11 buildings associated with the artist in Marfa that is on the National Register of Historic places.
Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas, photo: Alex Marks © Judd Foundation
In 2018, the Foundation began restoration of the Architecture Office, however three years into the project, the building caught on fire and was severely damaged. In 2022, 16 months after the fire, the Foundation announced that the building would be restored and was expected to be complete in spring 2024. In a recent announcement released by the Foundation, it noted that the final construction phase will continue through 2024, and the building’s collection will be reinstalled in mid-2025.
Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas, photo: Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation.
In a press release Flavin Judd, the Artistic Director of the Foundation, spoke about the importance of the Architecture Office, noting, “What Don made was about the here and now — about how the built environment is made with thought. The Architecture Office allows one to experience that idea and see the materials Don used to make it, to see his thinking. He believed that the preservation of art and architecture is the preservation of history, and that the ability to experience a culture physically is the best way to understand it.”
The office is part of a larger long-term restoration project underway by the Foundation for its buildings in Texas. The plan, which was developed in partnership with the project architects, SCHAUM/SHIEH, and with support from the Board of Trustees and Marfa Restoration Committee, is shaped by Mr. Judd’s vision for the foundation to preserve his work, the work of others, and his work spaces.
Troy Schaum, partner at SCHAUM/SHIEH, remarked, “The restoration of the Architecture Office simultaneously embraces challenges of sustainability in the desert climate, the history of Marfa, and Donald Judd’s work. Through the phases of the work, the building was meticulously restored brick by brick, but also reexamined holistically to incorporate Judd’s interventions for the building with practices embedded in Marfa’s historic urban fabric.”
Once the Architecture Office opens in September 2025, it will be part of the Foundation’s public guided-visit program. Visitors will be able to view architectural models, building plans, design prototypes, and Mr. Judd’s furniture. For the first time, a permanently installed living space on the second floor of the building will be accessible to the public. It will include paintings by John Chamberlain, furniture by Alvar Aalto, and furniture by Mr. Judd.
On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the Foundation will host a daylong event celebrating the opening of the Architecture Office. The day will include an open house, a community celebration, public programs, and extended hours. More information will be announced at a later date.
