Defined by Donald Judd’s plans, drawings, and writings–a key holding of the Judd Foundation Archives–the scope of the Plan will restore, protect, and sustain his spaces for future generations. The Plan includes the realization of buildings that were not finished in his lifetime to create a campus of sites open to the public spanning his work–art, architecture, design, and land conservation.
The plan includes the creation of new public spaces for programs to enrich the experience and understanding of Judd’s legacy in Marfa. The first of these spaces will be completed within the Architecture Office. The 540 square-foot space will be used as a flexible project room and house the Judd Foundation store. Additional public spaces to enhance research and scholarship will be included in the Archive Building and Print Building, including a library, reading rooms, and a viewing room.
The plan includes the expansion of Judd Foundation’s buildings in downtown Marfa to create dedicated spaces for its collection and research by scholars. These buildings are focused on research, preservation, and collections care—activities which are fundamental to the Foundation’s work and mission to provide a wider understanding of Judd’s legacy.
As the stewards of prominent architecture in Marfa, the Foundation has the responsibility to both restore Judd’s buildings as he intended and maintain the qualities of the city they help to define. Along with the contextual restoration and historic preservation of Judd’s buildings, the plan includes streetscape and public space improvements to enhance and provide new outdoor and indoor spaces for shared community use.
Schaum Architects, formerly SCHAUM/SHIEH
Project Architects
Houston, Texas
Silman
Structural Engineering
New York, New York
KCI Engineers
MEP Engineering
Downers Grove, Illinois
Image Permanence Institute
Environmental, Preservation, and Conservation Consulting
Rochester, New York
Higgins Quasebarth & Partners
Historic Consulting
New York, New York
Suzanne Deal Booth, Co-Chair
Dudley Del Balso, Co-Chair
Robert C. Beyer
Fairfax Dorn
Michael Govan
Following a seven-year restoration and rebuilding, Donald Judd’s Architecture Office opened to the public in September 2025.
The restoration of La Mansana de Chinati/The Block addressed various elements in the multi-building complex, including the reconstruction of the Winter Garden, the implementation of extensive site drainage, and the rehabilitation of the adobe wall surrounding the site.
Completed work at the site includes all site drainage work, the installation of over 2,000 lineal feet of French drains, and 10,000 gallons of rainwater catchment. The reconstruction of the Winter Garden, utilizing over 2,500 adobe blocks made on site with salvaged adobe from the original construction, was completed simultaneous to this work. Additionally, a filtration system was retrofitted to the pool and housed in a discrete vault on the grounds.
The Restoration of La Mansana de Chinati/The Block was completed September 2023.
Built in 1922, this two-story wood-frame structure was the first permanent building in the quartermaster’s complex and was originally used as the quartermaster’s office. Judd purchased the building in 1974 and repurposed it as a residence for his family. He removed most of the interior walls, as well as the bathroom; two bedrooms were created on the northeast and southeast corners of the ground floor in a mirrored configuration, and an eight-foot-wide open-riser central staircase was added to provide access to the second floor, which was used as a sleeping loft.
The restoration of the second floor of the Two-Story Building is currently in design and planning stages.
The adobe wall that encloses the perimeter of the Block was built by Judd beginning in the 1970s, utilizing repurposed adobe bricks from structures in Marfa and new adobe bricks made on site using local construction techniques. While Judd Foundation had recently stabilized the most at-risk areas of the adobe wall at the Block, high winds leveled a section bordering the property along Kelly Street. The Foundation worked with structural engineers, architects, and contractors to stabilize the structure and clear the debris.
The adobe wall reconstruction and rebuilding is currently in design and planning stages.
The Block Project Team
Schaum Architects
Project Architects
Houston, Texas
Silman
Structural Engineering
New York, New York
Sam + Belle
Civil Engineering
Houston, TX
Method Construction
General Contractors
Marfa, Texas
Sandro Canovas
Adobero
Marfa, TX
The first phase of work began in 2018 and focused on the building envelope, using traditional masonry techniques to repair and repoint the brick façade while maintaining the building’s original aesthetic. Leaks and damage to the original windows, most of which had been boarded up, were also addressed. All exterior wood windows and historic wood and copper storefronts were rebuilt by hand; original brass door and window hardware was refinished and reinstalled. Energy efficient glazing was incorporated while maintaining the historic look and operation of the windows and woodwork.
The second phase of work, which began in 2020, addressed the interior spaces, preparing them for the safe reinstallation of artworks and design objects, as well as for visitors and public outreach. Spaces permanently installed by Judd were given extra attention; floors were repaired and stabilized, and window and door treatments were improved to protect the work inside. Previously, objects had been housed in unconditioned areas with large variations in temperature and humidity. The project team determined that the advanced mechanical systems typically used for museums and preservation were neither feasible nor desirable in this arid remote location.
Instead, the project team researched and specified passive and light mechanical systems to achieve the required interior conditions. The collection will be kept within an acceptable climate range using an innovative outside-air system that senses the desert’s natural daily temperature swings and shifts accordingly. The second-floor installed spaces were also restored to match the conditions in which Donald Judd left them, but with an upgraded kitchen and bathrooms in keeping with the original architecture, and with energy efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems in place.
For the second restoration and rebuilding post-fire, working with Judd’s architectural precept of considering existing structures as complete systems, the project team implemented a number of energy conservation and sustainability practices that assessed the building as a whole, including
Schaum Architects
Project Architects
Houston, Texas
Alpha Masonry
Historic Masonry Consulting
Winnipeg, Canada
GK Engineers
MEP Engineering
Bellaire, Texas
Higgins Quasebarth & Partners
Historic Building Consulting
New York, New York
High Desert Woodworks
Historic Carpentry
Marfa, Texas
Image Permanence Institute
Environmental, Preservation, and Conservation Consulting
Rochester, New York
KCI Technologies
MEP Engineering
Downers Grove, Illinois
Method Building Company
General Contractors
Marfa, Texas
RC Concepts
General Contractors
Marfa, Texas
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Engineering
New York, New York
TYLin Engineering
Engineering
New York, New York
Transsolar KlimaEngineering
Energy Engineering
New York, New York
Judd Foundation holds a substantial collection of Judd’s works on paper, drawings, prints, paintings, furniture prototypes and objects, along with the Judd Foundation Archives. The plan will create new state-of-the-art, climate-controlled storage.
This two-building complex, located adjacent to the Block, will be dedicated to the study and preservation of the Judd Foundation Archives and collections. It includes a purpose-built facility and an existing 1920s mercantile building that will be restored to house the Foundation’s facilities and operations. Utilizing sustainable construction and renewable energy, the Archive Building will be a net-zero-carbon-emissions design.
The Archive Building will be a dedicated space for art storage, collection protection, and enhanced research access. The building will allow visiting scholars to access the archives, collection, and catalogue raisonné. This project will include the creation of new facilities for the collections care and research.
The Archive Building is currently in design and planning stages.
The Print Building restoration will preserve twenty-six rooms on the second floor of the historic building which were originally part of the Alta Vista Hotel and then the Crews Hotel. The rooms will be installed with a rotating selection of prints from a complete set of Judd’s prints intended as part of the installation of the Print Building. The ground floor of the building will be restored and house new visitor services facilities.
The restoration of the Print Building is in planning stages.
Las Casas, Judd’s most remote ranch house, is located on land maintained and stewarded as part of a conservation easement overseen by Judd Foundation. The building plans will include the completion of Judd’s free-standing architectural projects for the site, including the bunkhouse and a three-building stables complex.
The restoration of Las Casas is a future project of Judd Foundation.
In 2018 Judd Foundation initiates a long-term restoration plan for its buildings in Marfa, Texas.
Deinstallation of the Architecture Office and restoration work begins on the building exterior, focusing on the roof, windows, and brick façade.
Judd Foundation establishes an advisory committee for the Marfa Restoration Plan.
In March Judd Foundation temporarily halts the Guided Visit Program in New York and Marfa due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Restoration of the interior of the Architecture Office begins with work addressing plumbing, electric and HVAC needs as well as wall finishes and woodwork.
In June a major fire halts the restoration of the Architecture Office which was near completion of the second phase of its restoration plan and which addressed the interior spaces and focused on preserving the existing historic details and materials.
In the months after the fire, Judd Foundation worked with project architects, engineers, and independent contractors to assess the state of the building and determine immediate needs for the remediation of damage.
In November the Central Marfa Historic District, including eleven buildings preserved and repurposed by the artist Donald Judd, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The listing is the first time that Judd’s approach to architecture and preservation has been recognized as historically significant at the federal level.
The restoration and reconstruction of the Winter Garden is completed as part of the Marfa Restoration Plan.
In June Judd Foundation announces plans for completing the restoration and rebuilding of Donald Judd’s Architecture Office. The final construction phase will continue through the remainder of 2024, followed by reinstallation of the building’s collection in mid-2025.
In March severe storms which occurred throughout the southwest damaged the perimeter adobe wall at Donald Judd’s primary residence, La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, in Marfa. The Foundation worked with structural engineers, architects, and contractors to stabilize the structure and clear the debris.
In June the Donald Judd Historic District, comprised of fifteen buildings and one work of art, is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Six buildings sited at La Mansana de Chinati/The Block are recognized in this listing.
In September the seven-year restoration and rebuilding of the Architecture Office is completed.
Supporters of the Marfa Restoration Plan ensure the legacy of Donald Judd’s work in Marfa, Texas. Judd Foundation is pleased to recognize generous donors to the plan, and thank them for their leadership and support.
For more information on planned giving, please contact Hannah Parker, Senior Director of Development and Partnerships at hparker@juddfoundation.org.
Major Support
Suzanne Deal Booth
Dudley and Michael Del Balso
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Hermès
Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
Anonymous
Government & Foundation
The Alice M. and Thomas J. Tisch Foundation, Inc.
City of Marfa
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Hart Family Fund for Small Towns of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation/Frankenthaler Climate Initiative
National Trust Preservation Fund
The Summerlee Foundation
Corporate
Casa Dragones
Cosme
Crane & Co.
David Zwirner
Eleven Madison Park
Emeco
Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Gagosian
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Lisson Gallery
Mignoni
Pace Gallery
Salon 94 Design
Sotheby’s
Leadership Supporters
Loren Pack and Robert C. Beyer
Jack Dorsey
Marty and David Hamamoto
Anthony Meier
Suzi Davidoff and Carl Ryan
Patron Supporters
Scott P. Campbell
Dennis Dickinson
Mack and Cece Fowler
Bertha González Nieves
Gerda Maise and Daniel Göttin
Daniel Humm
Benjamin Hunter
Jim and Kathleen Jacobs
Stephanie LaCava
Jennifer Laird
Trey Laird
Nazy Nazhand
Enrique Olvera
Sally Ann Page
Lisa S. Pritzker
Pilar Crespi Roberts and Stephen Roberts
Ed Ruscha
Elizabeth Miller and Daniel Sallick
Ellen F. Salpeter
Alison Sarofim
Jennifer and Anton Segerstrom
Susan Sosnick
Anne-Cecilie Engell and Rob Speyer
Emily Glasser and Billy Susman
Catherine Walsh
Cynthia and Charles Wilcox
Alexandra Bowes and Stephen Williamson
Candace Worth
Anonymous