Rodney Leon

Rodney Leon is an American architect of Haitian descent. He is the founder of Rodney Leon Architect. He is the designer of the monument "The Ark of Return", and the memorial for the New York City African Burial Ground National Monument.[1] He specializes in urban planning projects in the United States of America, and abroad, projects with cultural, residential, and religious.[2][3][4] He is a member of The Haitian Roundtable (HRT). It is an organization of the Haitian-American professionals committed to civic engagement as well as philanthropic endeavors to benefit Haiti. It was started in 2008.[5]

Rodney Leon
Education1992 - Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute School of Architecture; 1995 - Masters of Architecture from Yale University
OccupationArchitect
Websitehttp://www.rodneyleon.com/home

Early life

Leon was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were immigrants from Haiti.[6][7]

Career

In 1992, Leon received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York City. In 1995, he received a Masters of Architecture from Yale University. From 1998 to 2003, he was visiting Design Professor at Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York City. In 2003 he was 2nd Year Design Coordinator for Pratt in 2003. He is as an Adjunct Professor of Advanced Design since 2009. Since 2014 Leon is a Capital and Planning Grants Reviewer for the New York State Council of the Arts.[8]

In 1998, Leon submitted a proposal to design the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City. He was one of the five designers selected from 61 applicants. In 2005, he was designated the official designer for the monument. Rodney Leon was designer, and co-founder along with Nicole Hollant-Denis of the AARRIS Architects were chosen to build the $3 million permanent memorial. The memorial was built on the colonial-era burial ground of enslaved Africans in lower Manhattan, in New York City. The grave site was found in 1991.[3][9][10]

Leon was the designer of 'The Art of Return' it was the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s winning design. It was an international competition. Leon's design entitled the 'Art of Return' was chosen from 310 design proposals from 83 countries that entered the competition. It is installed at the United Nations Plaza in New York City. The Ark is a Permanent Memorial that honors the African victims of enslavement during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. It was unveiled on March 25, 2015. The unveiling of the Ark of Return marked the United Nations' International Decade for People of African Descent. March 25, 2015 was the starting of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In 2015 Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, Sam Kutesa the President of the United Nations General Assembly, and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller of Jamaica were the ribbon cutters during unveiling ceremony of “The Ark of Return”.[11]

2008 was the beginning of the United Nations' International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The beginning theme was "Breaking the Silence, Lest We Forget".

Leon is a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA), and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).[12] Leon and Nicole Hollant-Denis are the principal architects for Belle Rive Residential Resort in Jacmel, Haiti. It is a private resort style residential development with 94 townhouses, tower apartments, and a 120-room four start hotel and private club.

Ark of Return Elements
  • The design concept of the Ark of Return has three primary elements. The first element is to acknowledge the tragedy. It is a three-dimensional map. The map depicts the global scale of the slave trade.
  • The second element is to, consider the legacy. It has a full scale human figure lying down. This element is in front of a wall with images of the interior of a slave ship. This element is designed to illustrates the conditions that millions of African people were subjected to during the Middle Passage.
  • The third element, lest we forget is a triangular pool where visitors can reflect and honor the millions of people that lost their lives during the Transatlantic slave trade.
African Burial Ground (NYC) aerial view

Architectural projects

Cultural designs
  • The Ark of Return[13]
  • African Burial Ground Memorial[14]
  • Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts[15]
  • National Hip Hop Museum Master Plan[16]
  • Salvation Army Community Center in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn[17]

Residential
  • Belle Rive Residential Resort Master Plan[18]
  • River Front View[19]
  • Le Coeur Vert[20]
  • Haiti Softhouse[21]
  • Cycle of Life Housing[22]

Religious
  • Islamic Cultural Center[23]
  • French Evangelical Church[24]
  • Convent Avenue Baptist Church[25]

Leon is a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA), and National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).[12] Leon and Nicole Hollant-Denis are the principal architects for Belle Rive Residential Resort in Jacmel, Haiti. It is a private resort style residential development with 94 townhouses, tower apartments, and a 120-room four start hotel and private club.

Quotes

“The African Burial Ground National Monument serves to educate current and future generations about the extreme sacrifices and profound contributions made by enslaved African-descendant communities to the building of our great city and country. The memorial is meant to provide our ancestors with the acknowledgement, dignity and respect in death that they were not afforded in life". Rodney Leon[26]

References
  1. "MAAP - Video View". Maap.columbia.edu. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  2. "UN unveils permanent memorial to victims of transatlantic slave trade". News.un.org. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  3. "Rodney Leon". Tnj.com. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. "United Nations International Design Competition Awarded to Noted Architect Rodney Leon to Honor Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade". Myoceanstyle.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  5. "About". Thehaitanroundtable.org. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  6. "The Angel Rock Project :: Angel of the Month: Rodney Leon". Angelrockproject.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  7. "Haitian American Architect Rodney Leon Slavery Memorial Unveiled at United Nations". Haitiantimes.com. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  8. "Rodney Leon". Thehaitianroundtable.org. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  9. "Design Selected for African Burial Ground". Npr.org. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  10. Rothstein, Edward (25 February 2010). "African Burial Ground, and Its Dead, Are Given Life". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  11. "FEATURE: Architect of UN slavery memorial explains 'The Ark of Return'". News.un.org. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  12. "20 Inspiring Minority Architects, Designers and Advocates for a More Diverse Profession - Architizer Journal". Journal. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  13. "The Ark of Return". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  14. "African Burial Ground Memorial". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  15. "Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  16. "National Hip Hop Museum Master Plan". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  17. Morris), Suzanne Spellen (aka Montrose (26 June 2014). "Building of the Day: 1149-1171 Bushwick Avenue". Brownstoner. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  18. "Belle Rive Residential Resort Master Plan". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  19. "River Front View Master Plan". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  20. "Le Coeur Vert". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  21. "Haiti Softhouse". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  22. "Cycle Of Life Housing". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  23. "Islamic Cultural Center Inc". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  24. "French Evangelical Church New York". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  25. "Convent Ave Baptist Church". Rodneyleon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  26. "African Burial Ground Architect Rodney Leon on the Defacing of the Monument and the Need for Unity in the Current Climate". Outtimepress.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
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