The Judd Foundation has announced the completion of the restoration and rebuilding of Donald Judd’s Architecture Office, with plans to open it to the public in September 2025. This historic site is one of eleven buildings associated with Judd in Marfa recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
The restoration project, initiated in 2018, was interrupted by a building fire in June 2021. Despite the setback, the Foundation has continued to implement its original plans, focusing on stabilizing the structure and protecting the works housed within. The initial phase involved using traditional masonry techniques to repair the brick façade, maintaining the building’s original aesthetic. The subsequent phase, which began in 2019 and was nearly complete at the time of the fire, focused on preserving the building’s interior.
“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,” said Flavin Judd, artistic director of Judd Foundation. “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 final construction phase will continue through 2024, with the building’s collection being reinstalled by mid-2025. Throughout the restoration, the Foundation has utilized energy-efficient systems and sustainable materials, including insulated glazing within traditional wood sash windows, recycled insulation, a passive outdoor air-cooling system, and new solar panels.
The Architecture Office is one of six major projects in Judd Foundation’s long-term restoration plan for its buildings in Texas. Once restored, it will be part of the Foundation’s public guided-visit program, featuring architectural models, building plans, design prototypes, and Judd’s furniture. The second floor will showcase a living space with paintings by John Chamberlain, furniture by Alvar Aalto, and Judd’s own furniture.
Judd Foundation will celebrate the opening of the Architecture Office on Saturday, September 20, 2025, with an open house and community celebration, including public programs and special extended hours.
Troy Schaum, partner at SCHAUM/SHIEH, the architectural firm collaborating with the Foundation, stated, “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.”
Donald Judd purchased the Glascock Building, located on Highland Avenue in downtown Marfa, in 1990. Originally a store, the building later housed various commercial businesses. Judd renovated the street-level space as his Architecture Office, exemplifying his practice of repurposing existing buildings and restoring historic structures.
The restoration of the Architecture Office is part of the Foundation’s broader Marfa Restoration Plan, a multi-year initiative to ensure its buildings remain vital spaces for engaging with Judd’s work. This plan includes the restoration of La Mansana de Chinati/The Block, completed in 2023, as well as the Print Building, the Archive Building, the Ranch Office, and Judd’s ranch houses.
Judd Foundation, headquartered at 104 South Highland Avenue, PO Box 218, Marfa, TX 79843, and 101 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012, is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving Donald Judd’s living and working spaces and promoting his artistic legacy.
For more information, visit juddfoundation.org or contact the Foundation at 212-219-2747.
Image Credit: Judd Foundation
