The Chinati Foundation John Chamberlain Building Restoration

The John Chamberlain Building, a former wool and mohair warehouse built in the 1940s in Marfa, TX, was adapted by Donald Judd in 1983 to house 23 large-scale John Chamberlain sculptures for public viewing. The Chinati Foundation engaged SCHAUM/SHIEH to restore the deteriorating structure and to improve its accessibility and energy performance while preserving Judd’s design interventions in the historic building.

After an in-depth study in collaboration with engineers, archivists, and the Chinati Foundation, a major restoration was undertaken. The roof was completely replaced, trusses reinforced, stucco and plaster restored, and Judd’s original designs for the building’s pivot doors, fixed windows, adobe perimeter walls, and sotol garden restored to his original intent. Existing, faulty skylights were upgraded to improve the gallery’s light quality while protecting the artwork. New ADA ramps and handrails along with studied egress and fire protection strategies improve access to the building, while keeping with its original character.

In reconstructing Judd’s fourteen “2 over 2” windows and pivot doors, the architects worked with on–site carpenters to integrate a hidden steel frame into the existing composition, making the windows operable after being shut closed for decades. The windows are Marfa-specific adaptations of pine wood coated in a traditional treatment of turpentine and linseed oil which gives them their unique patina. The combination of traditional local techniques and necessary but thoughtful upgrades gives the building a new life as part of Marfa’s cultural landscape. (With SCHAUM/SHIEH)