Over the weekend a fire broke out at 102 North Highland Avenue in Marfa, Texas, the two-story brick building best known as the Architecture Office of Donald Judd. According to an Instagram post by the Judd Foundation, the interior of the building, which was undergoing an extensive three-year restoration, was severely damaged. No one was injured during the incident. As of now, the cause of the fire is unknown.
Originally built in 1907, Donald Judd purchased the building, known as the Glascock Building, in 1990, and renovated its street-level storefront into an office for his architectural practice. The space was home to numerous furnishings and objects designed by the artist, along with a number of plans and models of Judd’s architectural projects. In 2018, the building was closed for renovations led by Houston and New York-based architecture firm Schaum/Shieh as part of the Judd Foundation’s Marfa Restoration Plan. The plan is a long-term initiative to protect and restore Judd’s spaces in Marfa and to complete his architectural plans.
Due to the renovations, the items within the Glascock Building were temporarily relocated, so thankfully none were present during the fire.
“The fire was contained to the building and fortunately no one was injured,” says Flavin Judd, the Judd Foundation’s artistic director, in a press statement. “As the building was deinstalled for the restoration, it was empty and there were no artworks or objects damaged in the fire. It’s unfortunate as we were weeks away from finishing the restoration, but we will rebuild—that’s what we do.”
The restoration project planned to open the first floor of the Architecture Office to the public, allowing access to Judd’s architectural projects in the permanently installed office spaces. Second-floor plans included a restoration and installation of Judd’s bedroom, office, and sitting room in addition to newly created housing units for visiting scholars working within the Judd Foundation Archives.
3 Comments
minimalism on fire - wow - Judd's work is relevant again!
hmmm. from the previous article, for another building:
Donald Judd bought 101 Spring Street, an 1870 cast-iron building, in 1968 for $68,000.
He stripped the dilapidated building down to its plaster walls and wood floors, illegally removing distractions like fire sprinklers.
Yikes.
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