After more than a year of closure for restoration work, Houston’s beloved Rothko Chapel is reopening to the public. First dedicated in 1971 by philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil as a sacred space for interfaith celebration and social engagement, the historic structure displays 14 of Mark Rothko’s monumental, moody canvases within an octagonal space anchored by a skylight. Though he collaborated on the building’s design with architects Philip Johnson, Howard Barnstone, and Eugene Aubry, Rothko died in 1970 and never visited Houston. The skylight was obscured to protect his canvases from sunlight, making the nuances of his work difficult to perceive.

Thanks to an intervention by New York firm Architecture Research Office (ARO), obstacles to experiencing Rothko’s work have mostly been removed. The firm partnered with lighting specialists George Sexton Associates to install a laminated-glass skylight that still invites in light while protecting his work, while a reconfiguration of the building’s entryway grants visitors unimpeded access. “There are subtleties to the brushstroke, to the color, to the reflectivity of the paint, that you really didn’t see in inadequate light,” ARO co-founder Stephen Cassell tells AD. “The paintings will have more subtle depth to them and more to discover over time.”

ARO’s scope also includes Opening Spaces, a $30 million plan to expand the chapel’s campus through a collaboration with landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz. Special sensitivity was given to the dynamic between the chapel and Broken Obelisk (1963–67), a sculpture by Barnett Newman overlooks a reflecting pool. Dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr, the sculpture embodies the Rothko Chapel’s longtime commitment to human rights and social justice. “The Chapel was built with a vision that brought together modern art and a sacred space to promote human unity, solidarity, justice, and peace,” says Christopher Rothko, son of Mark and chairman of Opening Spaces. “The universality of this vision is relevant today and will remain for generations to come.”

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Building strategy, branding creative, and immersive environments for the world’s most in-demand beauty brands, the New York City agency School House has become one of the industry’s must-know names—and the company isn’t even six years old. Credit founder and principal Christopher Skinner, whose impressive career includes stints at Sephora, Space NK Apothecary, and Fresh, where he spearheaded global design and store experience. At the latter, Skinner identified a hole in the market: a creative studio that offers a sensitive, personalized approach to beauty’s ever-changing landscape. Surface caught up with Skinner to learn about the brand’s origins, it’s hyper-speed growth, and why vulnerability is key to creating genuine, thoughtful branding.

Long inspired by the notion that all material carries a past, MJ Tyson focuses her practice on pushing material towards its next incarnation—and tracing its history. By melting, molding, and editing metal objects and jewelry from the living and deceased, the New Jersey artist creates intimate, one-of-a-kind sculptures that become conduits of human presence.

Balkrishna Doshi’s first major retrospective outside Asia, “Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People,” recently opened at Chicago’s Wrightwood 659 after debuting at the Vitra Design Museum in 2019. The show presents the pioneering architect’s most notable projects, from city planning to residential interiors, all of which embody his underlying humanist ideals. His relationships with other influential architects such as Christopher Alexander, Louis Kahn, and Le Corbusier—with whom Doshi helped design Chandigarh—will also come to light.

When Doshi became the first Indian to receive the Pritzker Prize, in 2018, the jury announced that he “has always created architecture that is serious, never flashy or a follower of trends,” and noted his “deep sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to his country and its people through authentic architecture.” We rounded up a list of his greatest hits.

When: Sept. 24–Nov. 2

Where: Bulthaup, Los Angeles

What: Using the ancient Roman glossy surface treatment technique terra sigillata, the Los Angeles sculptor debuts 23 hand-built ceramic stoneware pieces that blur traditional notions of beauty and rethink where fragile objects become robust and highly adaptable.

Now that the physical fairs of Miami Art Week—including the lucrative Art Basel—have been canceled due to the coronavirus, nearly all stakeholders are doing damage control. The cancellation poses sizable economic consequences for the city of Miami Beach, which reportedly gains $16 million in revenue and $1 million in resort fees from the fair circuit every year. According to Miami Beach mayor Dan Gelber, “more private jets show up to Art Basel than the Super Bowl.”

For smaller and mid-size galleries, the impact can’t be understated. Immediate business conducted from Miami may account for 30 to 50 percent of annual sales, “comparable to having a successful solo show at the gallery,” New York art dealer James Fuentes tells Artnet News. Art Basel’s new virtual viewing rooms ease the burden of participation, though may not attract as much buzz. “It’s not as much risk, overhead, production, or travel, so that has its benefits,” Fuentes says. Despite the cancellations, the smaller fairs Untitled and Scope are still expected to show this year.

Since founding Dinosaur Designs more than 30 years ago, designers and artists Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy have created a mini-art movement synonymous with luxury. Creating jewelry and homewares from resin and precious metals, their unique pieces are characterized by a warmth and tactility only possible by making each piece by hand in their studio.

Surface Says: Dinosaur Designs has created a distinctly punchy and colorful point of view with its statement-making fashion and home accessories.

Michael Locascio’s eerie sculptures resemble ghosts emerging from mirrors.

Ponden Hall, the Yorkshire house that inspired Wuthering Heights, is on sale.

B&B Italia’s immersive new Miami showroom offers a “phygital” experience.

Adrian Wilson turns one subway station into a Ruth Bader Ginsburg tribute.