Built in 1971, the Rothko Chapel in Huston, Texas, was conceived as an intimate sanctuary for people of every belief, while in front of the chapel, Barnett Newman's sculpture "Broken Obelisk" stands in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1964, Mark Rothko was commissioned by John and Dominique de Menil to create a meditative space for his site-specific paintings. Rothko’s vision clashed with that of the initial architect, Philip Johnson, over the scale and grandiosity of the building, which he felt distracted from the art. The project underwent several revisions with different architects, including Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry. Now officials have announced the indefinite closing of the chapel, after having sustained severe damage during Hurricane Beryl, the Category 1 storm that hit Houston on July 9.
The Rothko Chapel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, closed in March 2019 for restoration, reopening in 2020. Renowned for its fourteen monumental Mark Rothko canvases, the Chapel represents an invitation to spiritual contemplation regardless of faith. The renovation enhanced the skylight, lighting, and entryway, aligning with the original design to improve the interaction with Rothko's art.
During Hurricane Beryl, heavy rain and gale-force winds caused roof leaks, resulting in water damage to the ceiling and walls. According to the release, three of Mark Rothko’s panels have also been affected, “to various degrees”. Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation has been engaged to assess the damage, with repair costs still undetermined. During the closure, the venue’s stewards are evaluating its fall programming, potentially relocating events to other Houston venues. The full cost of repairs and the extent of the damage are still being determined.
The Chapel’s continued stewardship of this beloved cultural and sacred site, renowned for its Mark Rothko panels, remains our highest priority, and the closure will ensure that the necessary repairs and restorations can be made as effectively and completely as required. Our focus now is on the restoration of the building and panels, and on continuing our mission of both contemplation and action at the intersection of art, spirituality, and human rights. - Executive Director David Leslie
Rothko's vision for the Chapel was a pilgrimage site, far from New York, where visitors could engage with his spiritually charged art. The Chapel's architecture—a simple, one-story, brick building—reflects Rothko’s intent to create a space focused on transcendence, free from the distractions of monumental architecture. Rothko spent six years on the Chapel's paintings, which include a central monochrome triptych and two triptychs of opaque black rectangles on the side walls. The Chapel's irregular octagonal design, with alternating principal and secondary walls, a recessed floor, and a baffled skylight, was carefully planned by Rothko to enhance the spiritual impact of his art. The Chapel is significant not only as a modernist architectural work but also as a profound exploration of Rothko’s work, and the interplay between art, architecture and spirituality.
On a similar note, the Wayfarers Chapel, known locally as "The Glass Church," designed by Lloyd Wright, has announced plans to be disassembled, after having suffered extensive damage due to “accelerated land movement” in the Palos Verdes peninsula in Los Angeles. Previously, the historical monument had been closed off to the public for months, as the extent of the geological phenomenon impact has been assessed. Across the world, architects and activist societies are fighting to rescue buildings proposed for demolition under various circumstances.
