By Michael J. Lewis

Dec. 9, 2020 4:53 pm ET

…The physical fabric of a building is normally the focus of a restoration, but here it was something intangible—the total sensory immersion that Rothko intended. Stephen Cassell, the principal designer, paid particular attention to the sequence of spaces that the visitor experiences. The chapel is entered from the south, which can feel like a sudden plunge from blinding Texas sunshine into pitch blackness. To buffer the transition, he added a modest outer vestibule and modulated its lighting so that it drops in stages, giving the eyes time to adjust. He also introduced acoustic-absorbent plaster into the lobby, something to which the arriving visitor responds unconsciously, shifting to hushed tones…