Chinati Foundation
Late 1970’s- Present
Marfa, Texas
National Register of Historic Places (Fort D. A. Russell)
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When he chose Marfa as his home in the late 1970’s, Artist Donald Judd began purchasing and rehabilitating former military buildings at Ft. Russell to be used as exhibit space for contemporary art that he and selected artists created. Since Judd’s death in 1994, the Chinati Foundation has continued the rehabilitation of these buildings to display works by a number of contemporary artists in accordance with Judd’s vision. Volz & Associates initially surveyed four Fort buildings as part of an Institute of Museum Services CAP Assessment. To further assist the director, staff and board in identifying the architectural and conservation needs of its properties for strategic planning, all of the Chinati buildings were assessed, augmenting the original CAP report. More detailed analysis of the Arena and the Chamberlain Building followed.
Key Issues
- Evaluate the condition of original details of Judd’s rehabilitations to facilitate the development of a maintenance philosophy that allows design integrity to be maintained in an efficient, economical manner;
- Recommend that research and documentation for all buildings be organized in a manner that facilitates maintenance records and planning;
- Develop a maintenance plan, with clearly defined materials and quality standards, that will enable high quality cyclical maintenance and monitoring;
- Create a disaster plan that will enable the Chinati Foundation to respond to natural and man-made disasters, including fire and lightening protection for each building under its care;
- Outline solutions for architectural problems exhibited by all of the buildings, including structural cracking, roof and gutter leaks, rotting wood, and deteriorating adobe.
- Integration of state of the art mechanical (geo-thermal), fire suppression, data and video.