Marfa Restoration

Phase I
Architecture Office, La Mansana de Chinati/The Block

Phase II
Archive Building, Print Building

Phase III
Ayala de Chinati

Restoration at the Block addresses multiple elements in the complex including the restoration of the two-story building, 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 The Block was completed September 2023.

The Block Project Team

Schaum Architects (formerly SCHAUM/SHIEH)
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 restoration of the Architecture Office will open the first floor of the building to the public, allowing access to Judd’s architectural projects in the permanently installed office spaces containing models, drawings, design objects and Judd-designed furniture. The restoration and the reinstallation of the second-floor spaces will include Judd’s permanently installed bedroom, office, and sitting room. The second floor will also support Judd research by providing housing for scholars working within the Judd Foundation Archives.

Collection protection and climate control are key tenets of the Architecture Office restoration. The building will house Judd’s architectural drawings and design prototypes, along with six works by John Chamberlain.

Architecture Office Project Team

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

Alpha Masonry
Historic Mason Consulting
Winnipeg, Canada

Method Construction
General Contractors
Marfa, Texas

RC Concepts
General Contractors
Marfa, Texas

High Desert Wood Works
Historic Window Fabrication
Marfa, Texas

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 Print Building restoration will preserve twenty-eight 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.

Ayala de Chinati will focus the building projects at Las Casas, Judd’s most remote ranch house located on land maintained and stewarded as part of a conservation easement overseen by Judd Foundation. These will include the realization of Judd’s free-standing architectural projects for the site, including the bunkhouse and a three-building stables complex. 

The Marfa Restoration Plan follows the historic restoration of 101 Spring Street, Judd’s home and studio in New York. That project received seven national awards, including the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and defines the contextual approach Judd Foundation will implement for each building in the plan.

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.

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. This space will be used as a flexible project room by Judd Foundation. Additional public spaces to enhance research and scholarship will be included in the Archive Building and Print Building, including a research 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.

Judd Foundation recognizes the importance of the place and the community of Marfa. 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 public space improvements to provide new spaces for shared community use.