Chinati Visitor Center [year three // semester one]
Upon visiting the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, I had several preconceived ideas about the site and the art that was situated on the vast landscape. I was familiar with each of the major works that Judd created and understood the intense numerical precision that Donald Judd had when creating these works of art. While engaging with the Chinati foundation and the unique landscape it bestowed, there was a complete absence of Judd’s intentions towards the concrete blocks. The concrete untitled works that sat along a perfect north-south axis were completely imperceptible when interacting with the site. This observation led me to explore a design solution that would not only highlight the bold axis that the works created, but create a dynamic experience within building itself.
The design parti began with a linear wall residing parallel to the concrete block axis that acted as a reference marker as well as a means of differentiation between two variations of art form: one that incorporates the surrounding landscape and one that acts as its own art object. While the longitudinal wall emphasizes the north-south axis of the blocks, secondary axes branch off on either side to create an association between the entry sequence and the landscape towards the horizon. The experiential sequence consists of a series of one point perspective spaces connected by an outdoor transitional sequence that thrusts the eye towards a view of the concrete blocks. When viewing the building from the exterior, the two axes lie parallel to highlight the intricate intention of Donald Judd.