James Rossant

Quality 0.50 · 0 views · Updated 2 months ago

American architect (1928–2009)

title: "James Rossant" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["20th-century-american-architects", "20th-century-american-jews", "jewish-american-architects", "columbia-graduate-school-of-architecture,-planning-and-preservation-alumni", "harvard-graduate-school-of-design-alumni", "1928-births", "2009-deaths", "deaths-from-leukemia-in-france", "21st-century-american-jews"] description: "American architect (1928–2009)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rossant" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American architect (1928–2009) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox architect"]

FieldValue
nameJames Rossant
imageReston,Virginia-_Lake_Anne_plaza.jpg
image_size
captionLake Anne in Reston, Virginia, US
birth_nameJames Stephan Rossant
birth_date
birth_placeNew York City, U.S.
death_date
death_placeGermonville, Condeau, Orne, France
alma_materHarvard Graduate School of Design
spouse
children4
practiceMayer & Whittlesey
significant_buildingsButterfield House, Ramaz School, Two Charles Center
significant_projectsMyriad Botanical Gardens, U.S. Navy Memorial
significant_designReston, Virginia, Lower Manhattan, Dodoma
website
::

| name = James Rossant | image = Reston,Virginia-_Lake_Anne_plaza.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Lake Anne in Reston, Virginia, US | birth_name = James Stephan Rossant | birth_date = | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Germonville, Condeau, Orne, France | alma_mater = Harvard Graduate School of Design | spouse = | children = 4 | practice = Mayer & Whittlesey | significant_buildings = Butterfield House, Ramaz School, Two Charles Center | significant_projects = Myriad Botanical Gardens, U.S. Navy Memorial | significant_design = Reston, Virginia, Lower Manhattan, Dodoma | signature = | website =
James Stephan Rossant (August 17, 1928 – December 15, 2009) was an American architect, artist, and professor of architecture. | last = Biering | first = Alexander | title = James Rossant, Noted Architect and Planner, Dies at 81 | publisher = Architectural Record | date = January 12, 2010 | url = http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/100112rossant.asp | accessdate = February 16, 2010 }} | last = Krouse | first = Sarah | title = James Rossant, master planner behind Reston, Dies | publisher = Washington Business Journal | date = December 15, 2009 | url = http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/12/14/daily33.html | accessdate = February 16, 2010 }} | last = Grimes | first = William | title = James Rossant, Architect and Planner, Dies at 81 | work = New York Times | date = December 18, 2009 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/arts/design/19rossant.html | accessdate = February 16, 2010 }} | last = Champenois | first = Michele | title = James Rossant, architecte et urbaniste americain | publisher = Le Monde | date = December 26, 2009 | url = http://www.lemonde.fr/carnet/article/2009/12/26/james-rossant-architecte-et-urbaniste-americain_1285163_3382.html | accessdate = February 16, 2010 }} A long-time Fellow of the American Institute of Architects,{{cite web | title = James Stephan Rossant | publisher = American Institute of Architects - Directory | url = http://public.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1038278.aspx | date = | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180509075646/http://public.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1038278.aspx | archive-date = May 9, 2018 | url-status = dead

Early life

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/03-28-07-Harvard-GSD.jpg" caption="Harvard GSD]], where Rossant studied architecture under [[Walter Gropius]] and others"] ::

Born in New York City, Rossant grew up in the Bronx, where he attended the Bronx High School of Science. Rossant's brother was journalist Murray Rossant. | title = The Alumni Association Remembers: Those Classmates Who Have Passed Away | publisher = Bronx High School of Science | url = http://alumni.bxscience.edu/?page=memoriam | date = | accessdate = December 6, 2016}} He studied architecture at Columbia University, the University of Florida, and Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (under Walter Gropius).

Career

Architecture

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Manhattan_1931.jpg" caption="Lower Manhattan pictured (1931), which Rossant and others made new master urban plans in the 1960s"] ::

After the war, he worked in Italy with Gino Valle (designer of the Cifra 3 clock). In 1957, Rossant joined Mayer & Whittlesey as architect and town planner. His first large design project was the Butterfield House apartment house in Greenwich Village (1962). He also worked on the Lower Manhattan Plan. For Whittlesey & Conklin, he developed the master plan for Reston, Virginia. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Reston,Virginia-_Lake_Anne_plaza.jpg" caption="Reston]],
designed by James Rossant and William Conklin"] ::

For Conklin & Rossant, his work included the Crystal Bridge of the Myriad Botanical Gardens (Oklahoma City), the Ramaz School (New York City), Two Charles Center (Baltimore), and the U.S. Navy Memorial at Market Square (Washington, DC).{{cite web | title = Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site | publisher = US DOI - NPS: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form | url = https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/weekly_features/66000865-text.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121107184040/http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/weekly_features/66000865-text.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = November 7, 2012 | date = | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Myriad_Botanical_Gardens.jpg" caption="Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory at the [[Myriad Botanical Gardens]] in [[Oklahoma City]], designed by Rossant and Conklin"] ::

For 3R Architects, his work included Tanzania's new capital at Dodoma under the sponsorship of the United Nations. He served on New York City's Public Design Commission (formerly the Art Commission of the City of New York). On November 2, 1971, Rossant appeared with Ada Louise Huxtable on the television show Firing Line on discuss "Why Aren't Good Buildings Being Built?"{{cite web | title = Inventory of the Firing Line (Television Program) Broadcast Records | publisher = Online Archive of California (OAC) | url = http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt6m3nc88c/entire_text/| accessdate = October 4, 2016}} He appeared posthumously from television clips and his wife in interviews as part of Rebekah Wingert-Jabi's 2015 documentary Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA.{{cite web | title = Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA | publisher = IMDB | url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4494416/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_1 | accessdate = October 4, 2016}}{{cite web | title = Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA | publisher = Another Way of Living: official site | url = http://anotherwayoflivingfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/RF_PK_VFF_EFF.pdf | date = 2015 | accessdate = October 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160828114312/http://anotherwayoflivingfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/RF_PK_VFF_EFF.pdf | archive-date = August 28, 2016 | url-status = dead}}

Artwork

Rossant painted all his life and exhibited frequently (last in Paris, 2009). His sculpture includes work publicly accessible on Washington Plaza along Lake Anne in Reston. He published Cities in the Sky in 2009, based on one of his longest series of architectural paintings. He also illustrated several cookbooks by his wife.

Teaching

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Puck_Building.jpg" caption="Puck building of the Pratt Institute, where Rossant taught for many years"] ::

Rossant taught architecture at the Pratt Institute (1970–2005) and Urban Design at New York University's School of Public Administration (1975–1983). As lecturer, he visited the National University of Singapore, the American University of Beirut, Harvard University, the University of Virginia, and Columbia University.

Personal life and death

Rossant married Colette Palacci while serving in the army in Europe; the couple moved back the US in the mid-1950s. The couple had four children. | last = Rossant | first = Colette | title = The World in My Kitchen | publisher = Atria | year = 2006 | isbn = 0-7434-9028-2}}

He died at Germonville, Condeau, in the Orne portion of Le Perche, Lower Normandy, from complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).{{cite news | title = James Rossant, Helped Design Reston VA | publisher = Boston Globe | date = December 20, 2009 | url = http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2009/12/20/james_rossant_helped_design_reston_va | accessdate = October 16, 2016}}{{cite web | title = Hyperion No. 15 (dedicated to James Rossant) | publisher = Nietzsche Circle | url = http://www.nietzschecircle.com/Rossantdedication.pdf | date = May 1, 2010 | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | title = In Memoriam: James Rossant (1928–2009) | publisher = Gateway (Pratt Institute) | page = 2 | url = https://www.pratt.edu/uploads/27Feb10_Gateway.pdf | date = February 27, 2010 | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | title = James Rossant | publisher = Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce | url = http://www.restonchamber.org/Home/theNEWS/theNEWSJanuary2010/tabid/6088/Default.aspx | date = January 2010 | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110727213149/http://www.restonchamber.org/Home/theNEWS/theNEWSJanuary2010/tabid/6088/Default.aspx | archive-date = July 27, 2011 | url-status = dead | title = Farewell: James Rossant | publisher = ArtInfo | url = http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/33499/scottish-artist-craigie-aitchison-has-died | date = December 23, 2009 | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = October 18, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018220902/http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/33499/scottish-artist-craigie-aitchison-has-died | url-status = dead | first = Peter | last = Sigrist | title = In Memory of James Rossant (1928-2009) | publisher = Polis | url = http://www.thepolisblog.org/2009/12/in-memory-of-james-rossant-1928-2009.html | date = December 23, 2009 | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} | title = James Rossant | publisher = Harvard Graduate School of Design | date = December 19, 2009 | url = http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/news/ | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} | title = James Rossant | publisher = Modern Capital | date = December 19, 2009 | url = https://moderncapital.blogspot.com/2009/12/james-rossant-reston-planner-and.html | accessdate = }} | title = In Memoriam: James Rossant | publisher = Super Chef | date = December 19, 2009 | url = https://superchef.us/2009/12/18/james-rossant/ | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} | title = James Rossant | publisher = Herndon Observer | date = December 19, 2009 | url = http://www.observernews.com/story08/news08/121809_rossant.html | accessdate = }} | title = Hats Off: Reston Original Master Planner Dies at 81 | publisher = Restonian | date = December 16, 2009 | url = http://www.restonian.org/2009/12/hats-off-reston-original-master-planner.html | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} | title = James Rossant | publisher = Le Perchoir | date = December 15, 2009 | url = http://www.leperchoir.com/2009/12/james-rossant/ }} Rossant was survived by his wife Colette Rossant (food critic, cookbook author, memoirist); children Marianne (educator), Juliette (author and journalist), Cecile (author and architect), and Tomas (architect); and eight grandchildren.

Works

James Rossant wrote a memoir which he published privately and shared with members of his family.

Writings:

  • {{cite book | title = Lower Manhattan Plan: The 1966 vision for downtown New York: Essays by Ann Buttenwieser, Paul Willen, and James Rossant | editor-first= Carol | editor-last= Willis | publisher = Princeton Architectural Press | place = New York | date = 2002 | lccn= 2002010899
  • {{cite book | title = Cities in the Sky | first= James | last = Rossant | publisher = Blurb | place = San Francisco | url = http://www.blurb.com/b/800259-cities-in-the-sky | date = August 6, 2009 | accessdate = October 16, 2016}}
  • Articles (various) | title = Writings | publisher = James Rossant | url = http://www.jamesrossant.com/writings.html#articlesby | date = | accessdate = October 16, 2016}}

Drawings:

  • {{cite book | title = Cooking with Colette, with drawings by James Rossant | first= Colette | last = Rossant | publisher = Scribner | place = New York | date = 1975 | lccn= 75016113
  • {{cite book | title = Colette's Slim Cuisine, with drawings by James S. Rossant | first= Colette | last = Rossant | publisher = Morrow | place = New York | date = 1983 | lccn= 83000992

References

References

  1. "Myriad Gardens". JamesRossant.com.
  2. "Ramaz School". JamesRossant.com.
  3. "U.S. Navy Memorial". JamesRossant.com.
  4. "Dodoma". JamesRossant.com.
  5. "Artwork". JamesRossant.com.
  6. "In Memoriam: James Rossant". Super Chef.
  7. "Illustrator". JamesRossant.com.
  8. "Lecturer". JamesRossant.com.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

20th-century-american-architects20th-century-american-jewsjewish-american-architectscolumbia-graduate-school-of-architecture,-planning-and-preservation-alumniharvard-graduate-school-of-design-alumni1928-births2009-deathsdeaths-from-leukemia-in-france21st-century-american-jews