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Ralph Rapson (September 13, 1914 – March 29, 2008) was Head of the School of Architecture at the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
for 30 years. He was one of the world's oldest practicing
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
s at his death at age 93, and also one of the most prolific. He was the father of philanthropist
Rip Rapson Richard "Rip" Rapson (born March 16, 1952) is an American attorney and philanthropist serving as CEO of the Kresge Foundation. He began his career as a congressional aide to Donald M. Fraser during Fraser's last two terms in the United States H ...
.


Early life and education

Rapson was born in Alma, Michigan with a deformed right arm that was amputated at birth; he learned to draw expertly with his left hand. He earned architecture degrees at the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, and at the
Cranbrook Academy of Art The Cranbrook Educational Community is an education, research, and public museum complex in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. This National Historic Landmark was founded in the early 20th century by newspaper mogul George Gough Booth. It consists of Cra ...
, where he studied under
Eliel Saarinen Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1873 – July 1, 1950) was a Finnish-American architect known for his work with art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century. He was also the father of famed architect Eero Saarinen. Lif ...
. “Cranbrook was a very exciting, dynamic place where I met and worked with guys like Charlie Eames,
Harry Bertoia Harry Bertoia (March 10, 1915 – November 1978) was an Italian-born American artist, sound art sculptor, and modern furniture designer. Bertoia was born in San Lorenzo, Pordenone, Italy. At age 15, given the opportunity to move to Detroit, ...
, and
Harry Weese Harry Mohr Weese (June 30, 1915 – October 29, 1998) was an American architect who had an important role in 20th century modernism and historic preservation. His brother, Ben Weese, is also a renowned architect. Early life and education Harry ...
,” Rapson said. As a young architect, Rapson worked for the Saarinen architectural office from 1940 to 1941. He moved to Chicago in 1941, where he worked with
George Fred Keck George Frederick Keck (1895-1980) was an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois. He was later assisted in his practice by his brother William Keck to form the firm of Keck & Keck. Biography Keck was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, ...
and others.


Teaching

Rapson taught architecture at the New Bauhaus School (now
IIT Institute of Design Institute of Design (ID) at the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), founded as the New Bauhaus, is a graduate school teaching systemic, human-centered design. History The Institute of Design at Illinois Tech is a school of design ...
) from 1942 to 1946, and at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...
from 1946 to 1954. He was Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1984, where "generations of Minnesota architects came up through istutelage".


Architectural practice and philosophy

Rapson practiced in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1954 to 2008. His work was predominantly in the
Modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
style. “Practically all the work I’ve done is not too far off from
Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 2 ...
principles,” he said. But his work was oriented to people rather than abstract principles. He said: “Whenever I’m designing a building or a piece of furniture, people become a strong part of my general approach. The design process isn’t just about bricks and stones; for me it’s also about the people in a building and how I expect them to live.” Rapson was a prolific sketch artist and kept volumes of sketchbooks from his various world travels. A book of selected sketches was published in 2002. In the book's introduction,
Cesar Pelli Cesar, César or Cèsar may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''César'' (film), a 1936 film directed by Marcel Pagnol * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt * César Award, a French film award Places * Cesar, Portugal * Ces ...
wrote: His drawings were "completely self-assured" and "looked quintessentially American."


Buildings and projects

Some of Rapson's most important projects include: * 1945: Case Study House No. 4, or "Greenbelt House" (part of the
Case Study House The Case Study Houses were experiments in American residential architecture sponsored by ''Arts & Architecture'' magazine, which commissioned major architects of the day, including Richard Neutra, Raphael Soriano, Craig Ellwood, Charles and Ray Ea ...
program) **
Esther McCoy Esther McCoy (November 18, 1904 in Horatio, Arkansas – December 30, 1989) was an American author and architectural historian who was instrumental in bringing the modern architecture of California to the attention of the world. Early life an ...
famously wrote: "Rapson’s rendering of the house showed a helicopter hovering over the flat roof, as if the owner was coming home to the suburbs from his day at the office. His wife is waving to him. Where is she? Hanging out diapers in the drying yard. Rapson’s money was on the wrong machine." ** The "Greenbelt House" was constructed in 1989 for an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. ** In recent years Rapson's firm developed a line of prefabricated modern houses called the
Rapson Greenbelt Rapson may refer to: People *John Rapson (born 1953), American jazz trombonist * Edward James Rapson (1861–1937), numismat and historian * Ralph Rapson (1914–2008), American architect *Rip Rapson (born 1952), American attorney and philanthropis ...
, which grew out of a submission for the
Dwell Home Design Invitational Dwell may refer to: * ''Dwell'' (album), a 2020 album by Recondite * ''Dwell'' (magazine), a monthly American publication focused on modern architecture and design * Dwell (retailer), a leading UK furniture and accessories company * "Dwell" (s ...
and are now available through a company called Wieler. * 1945: "Rapson Rapid Rocker" for Knoll Furniture * 1954: United States Embassy,
Diplomatstaden Diplomatstaden (Swedish for "Diplomat City") is a neighbourhood in the Östermalm district in central Stockholm, Sweden. As the name suggests, the neighbourhood is the home of many embassies and ambassadorial residencies. Diplomatstaden encompas ...
,
Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm () is the capital and most populous city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately 1 million people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 millio ...
* 1954: United States Embassy,
Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ...
* 1957: St. Peter's Lutheran Church,
Edina, Minnesota Edina ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous city in Minnesota. Edina began as a small farming and mil ...
* 1959: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church for the Deaf,
St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
(demolished 2007) * 1962-73: Cedar Square West (now Riverside Plaza) housing complex, Minneapolis, Minnesota (a federally funded New-Town-in-Town) * 1963: Pillsbury House in
Wayzata, Minnesota Wayzata ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. A western suburb of the Twin Cities, Wayzata is situated along the northern shore of Lake Minnetonka about west of Minneapolis. Known for its small-town character and lakeside lo ...
(demolished 1997) * 1963:
Guthrie Theater The Guthrie Theater, founded in 1963, is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The concept of the theater was born in 1959 in a series of discussions between Sir Tyrone Gu ...
, Minneapolis, Minnesota (demolished 2006) *1964: State Capital Credit Union, Minneapolis, Minnesota (converted to
Southeast Library Arvonne Fraser Library (formerly the Southeast Library) is a public library in Minneapolis, serving the University community. Designed by Ralph Rapson and built in 1963, the library is an example of brutalist architecture. The building originall ...
in 1967) * 1969: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, St. Paul Park, Minnesota * 1972:
Rarig Center The Rarig Center is a brutalist theater, television, radio, and classroom building on the University of Minnesota's campus in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. Designed by Ralph Rapson and built in 1971, the structure houses ...
, Minneapolis, Minnesota


Awards and honors

*
American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to ...
College of Fellows (
FAIA Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-membe ...
) * Gold Medal, Minnesota Society of Architects *
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...
(ACSA) Distinguished Professor Award, 1984-85. *
AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ancient town in Greece * ''Aia'', the collected edi ...
/
ACSA Acsa is a village in , Hungary. Location The village lies at the foot of the Cserhát hills by the upper River Galga in , near the border with . Population Most of Acsa's population is Slovakian. Communications Route 2108 serves the village ...
Topaz Medallion, 1987 * Winner, Dwell magazine lounge chair design competition, 2007 * Neutra Medal for Professional Excellence: In recognition for his contributions to the Environmental Design Profession and in honor of
Modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
architect
Richard Neutra Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; April 8, 1892 – April 16, 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for the majority of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. H ...
, 1984.


Death and remembrances

Rapson died quietly in his home in Minneapolis on March 29, 2008. He was working in his office the previous day. Six hundred people attended his memorial service at the new Guthrie Theater. He was described as a "rock star" in the field. Thomas Fisher, former Dean of the University of Minnesota's College of Design (home to the School of Architecture), said: “His passing ends an era in American architecture as well as in the history of the school, and he will be very much missed by the thousands of people he influenced.” Linda Mack remembered him as "A gentleman of the old school homaintained his career, his dignity, his charm and his kindliness to the end. He left more than an architectural legacy." According to Kay Lockhart, "Ralph loved being an architect, and he told me once, he 'felt sorry for anyone who wasn't an architect.' He infused us all with that same spirit." His wife was Mary and he had two sons, Richard (Rip) and Thomas (Toby), and a daughter, Ren, from a previous marriage.


Notes


External links


Ralph Rapson and AssociatesWieler — Modern Prefab HousesInterview with the authors of ''Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design'' (Part One)
plus Rapson discusses exhibits at MIA and the Weisman, Northern Lights Minnesota Author Interview TV Series #430 (1999)
Interview with the authors of ''Ralph Rapson: Sixty Years of Modern Design'' (Part Two)
plus Rapson discusses exhibits at MIA and the Weisman, Northern Lights Minnesota Author Interview TV Series #431 (1999) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rapson, Ralph 1914 births 2008 deaths 20th-century American architects Brutalist architects Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning alumni Cranbrook Academy of Art alumni People from Alma, Michigan Architects from Michigan Architects from Minneapolis