Archive · 13 Sep 2026
How Mark Rothko’s Chapel Became a Multifaith Sanctuary
The Rothko Chapel is a quiet building in Houston filled with large, dark paintings by Mark Rothko.
John and Dominique de Menil created it because they wanted people of many religions to feel welcome.
They travelled to different parts of the world to ask religious leaders whether the idea would be accepted.
Rothko designed both the paintings and the unusual eight-sided room.
He wanted natural sunlight instead of electric lights.
The chapel opened in 1971 and is free for anyone to visit.
Different religious groups have used it as a place to pray or worship.
Because the room has no religious symbols, people from many traditions can feel that it belongs to them.
John and Dominique de Menil commissioned the Rothko Chapel, which opened in Houston in 1971.
The de Menils consulted religious leaders and thinkers across several regions to make the chapel meaningful across faiths.
Mark Rothko designed the chapel’s eight-sided space and its paintings, working from full-size mock walls because he never visited Houston.
The chapel contains Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk, which the de Menils purchased after Houston residents declined it as a gift.
Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Muslims and others have used the chapel for meditation, prayer and worship.
- Who
- Mark Rothko, John and Dominique de Menil, and people from multiple religious traditions are central to the story.
- What
- The Rothko Chapel was created as a meditative, multifaith space featuring Rothko’s paintings and design.
- When
- The chapel opened in 1971; Whirling Dervishes performed there in 1978, and the Dalai Lama visited in 1979.
- Where
- The chapel is in Houston, Texas.
- Why
- The de Menils wanted to create a modern sanctuary that could speak to people across faiths and provide a place for meditation and prayer.
- Commissioners
- John and Dominique de Menil
- Opening
- 1971
- Artist and designer
- Mark Rothko
- Design
- An eight-sided room using natural light
- Location
- Houston, Texas
- Featured sculpture
- Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk
- Access
- Open daily without a ticket or fee
- Religious use
- Used by Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Muslims and others