James Rossant Explained

James Rossant
Birth Name:James Stephan Rossant
Birth Date:17 August 1928
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Death Place:Germonville, Condeau, Orne, France
Alma Mater:Harvard Graduate School of Design
Children:Marianne, Juliette, Cecile, Tomas
Practice:Mayer & Whittlesey, Whittlesey Conklin & Rossant, Conklin Rossant, 3R Architects, James Rossant Architects
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

James Stephan Rossant (August 17, 1928  - December 15, 2009) was an American architect, artist, and professor of architecture.[1] [2] [3] [4] A long-time Fellow of the American Institute of Architects,[5] he is best known for his master plan of Reston, Virginia, the Lower Manhattan Plan, and the UN-sponsored master plan for Dodoma, Tanzania. He was a partner of the architectural firm Conklin & Rossant and principal of James Rossant Architects.

Early life

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.[3] [4] [6] He studied architecture at Columbia University, the University of Florida, and Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (under Walter Gropius).[1] [3]

Career

Architecture

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.[1] For Whittlesey & Conklin, he developed the master plan for Reston, Virginia.[2] [3] For Conklin & Rossant, his work included the Crystal Bridge of the Myriad Botanical Gardens (Oklahoma City),[7] the Ramaz School (New York City),[8] Two Charles Center (Baltimore), and the U.S. Navy Memorial at Market Square (Washington, DC).[2] [3] [9] [10] For 3R Architects, his work included Tanzania's new capital at Dodoma under the sponsorship of the United Nations.[11] He served on New York City's Public Design Commission (formerly the Art Commission of the City of New York).[2] 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?"[12] 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.[13] [14]

Artwork

Rossant painted all his life and exhibited frequently (last in Paris, 2009).[15] 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.[1] [4] He also illustrated several cookbooks by his wife.[16] [17]

Teaching

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.[1] [18]

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.[19]

He died at Germonville, Condeau, in the Orne portion of Le Perche, Lower Normandy, from complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).[20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] 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.[1] [3]

Works

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

Writings:

Drawings:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Biering . Alexander . James Rossant, Noted Architect and Planner, Dies at 81 . . January 12, 2010. February 16, 2010 .
  2. News: Krouse . Sarah . James Rossant, master planner behind Reston, Dies . . December 15, 2009. February 16, 2010 .
  3. News: Grimes . William . James Rossant, Architect and Planner, Dies at 81 . . December 18, 2009. February 16, 2010 .
  4. News: Champenois . Michele . James Rossant, architecte et urbaniste americain . . December 26, 2009. February 16, 2010 .
  5. Web site: James Stephan Rossant. American Institute of Architects - Directory. October 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180509075646/http://public.aia.org/sites/hdoaa/wiki/Wiki%20Pages/ahd1038278.aspx. May 9, 2018. dead.
  6. Web site: The Alumni Association Remembers: Those Classmates Who Have Passed Away. Bronx High School of Science. December 6, 2016.
  7. Web site: Myriad Gardens . JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  8. Web site: Ramaz School . JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  9. Web site: U.S. Navy Memorial. JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  10. Web site: Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site . US DOI - NPS: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form . October 16, 2016.
  11. Web site: Dodoma. JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  12. Web site: Inventory of the Firing Line (Television Program) Broadcast Records. Online Archive of California (OAC). October 4, 2016.
  13. Web site: Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA. IMDB. October 4, 2016.
  14. Web site: Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA. Another Way of Living: official site. 2015. October 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828114312/http://anotherwayoflivingfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/RF_PK_VFF_EFF.pdf. August 28, 2016. dead.
  15. Web site: Artwork. JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  16. Web site: In Memoriam: James Rossant. Super Chef. February 16, 2010. November 28, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101128172119/http://superchefblog.com/2009/12/18/james-rossant/. dead.
  17. Web site: Illustrator. JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  18. Web site: Lecturer. JamesRossant.com. February 16, 2010.
  19. Book: Rossant , Colette . The World in My Kitchen . Atria . 2006 . 0-7434-9028-2.
  20. News: James Rossant, Helped Design Reston VA. Boston Globe. December 20, 2009. October 16, 2016.
  21. Web site: Hyperion No. 15 (dedicated to James Rossant). Nietzsche Circle. May 1, 2010. October 16, 2016.
  22. Web site: In Memoriam: James Rossant (1928–2009). Gateway (Pratt Institute). 2. February 27, 2010. October 16, 2016.
  23. Web site: James Rossant. Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. January 2010. October 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20110727213149/http://www.restonchamber.org/Home/theNEWS/theNEWSJanuary2010/tabid/6088/Default.aspx. July 27, 2011. dead.
  24. Web site: Farewell: James Rossant. ArtInfo. December 23, 2009. October 16, 2016. October 18, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161018220902/http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/33499/scottish-artist-craigie-aitchison-has-died. dead.
  25. Web site: Peter. Sigrist. In Memory of James Rossant (1928-2009). Polis. December 23, 2009. October 16, 2016.
  26. Web site: James Rossant. Harvard Graduate School of Design. December 19, 2009. October 16, 2016.
  27. Web site: James Rossant. Modern Capital. December 19, 2009.
  28. Web site: In Memoriam: James Rossant. Super Chef. December 19, 2009. October 16, 2016.
  29. Web site: James Rossant. Herndon Observer . December 19, 2009.
  30. Web site: Hats Off: Reston Original Master Planner Dies at 81. Restonian. December 16, 2009. October 16, 2016.
  31. Web site: James Rossant. Le Perchoir. December 15, 2009.
  32. Web site: Writings. James Rossant. October 16, 2016.

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