The Rothko Chapel (1971), which is (in Europe at least), virtually unknown to the average architect, was designed by Philip Johnson (1906-2005) and was meant as a spiritual place of worship and reflection for all denominations. The artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970), who was commissioned a series of canvases for the new chapel, was to work closely with Johnson to create a space that was both spiritual haven and art gallery. The chapel features an octogonal plan echoing Early Christian and Orthodox chapels and is lit in a theatrical way through skylights.
Mark Rothko, who was suffering from depression, took his own life before the chapel was finished.
