Les Robertson

For the Seattle World's Fair, Les worked with the firm on the design of the United States Science Pavilion and on the Opera House: "I worked closely with B. Marcus Priteca, the architect. Benny had converted many of the old vaudeville theaters to movie houses. For Seattle, on the basis that the access to the fly gallery was too dangerous, he wanted to put an elevator up to the loft; over a wager, I climbed the shear concrete wall to the fly gallery...and he gave up on the elevator. Benny and I became really good friends, though he was much older than me.

"Much later, when dance companies refused to perform in the building (the floor was designed for elephants or a high-dive act and was far too stiff), I lunched with Balanchine (and Violetta Verdi), who graciously provided the design for a proper dance floor. I played a minor role in several of the other buildings ... but cannot recall the details."

As the firm gained a world-wide clientele base, Les traveled widely. In 1963 Skilling Helle Christiansen Robertson opened a branch in New York City, and he moved to New York to direct the office. Projects included the World Trade Center. In 1982 he opened an independent practice there, Leslie E. Robertson Associates/LERA.

Involved in the structural design and construction of three of the world's tallest buildings including the New York World Trade Center, Les received the 1993 New York Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology for his work on the structural design of the World Trade Center that withstood the 1993 terrorist bombing, as well as in the re-construction of the twin towers.

In 1989, Engineering News Record named Leslie Robertson Man of the Year. In 2002, he received the first Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology, given by the National Building Museum, in recognition of his 50-year career as a structural designer who has significantly advanced the engineering and construction of tall buildings around the world. In 2003, the American Society of Civil Engineers honored him with its Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Lifetime Achievement award.

References:

The Structure of Design: An Engineer's Extraordinary Life in Architecture by Leslie Earl Robertson (The Monacelli Press 2017)

"Leaning Out" World Trade Center documentary

"Leaning Out" trailer

2018: "Twin Towers Engineer Blamed Himself After 9/11"

ENR 2/11/2021: "World-Renowned Structural Engineer Les Robertson, ENR's Man of the Year 1989, Dies"

New York Times 2/11/2021: "Leslie Robertson, Who Engineered the World Trade Center, Dies at 92"

The Architect's Newspaper 2/12/2021: "Leslie E. Robertson, structural engineer of the World Trade Center, passes away at 92"

Real Estate Weekly 2/12/21: "AISC remembers legendary engineer Les Robertson"

AISC Modern Steel News 2/12/21 "Legendary SE Leslie Robertson Dead at 92"

The Seattle Times 2/12/21 "This Week's Passages"

National Building Museum 2/13/21 "Leslie E. Robertson, First Recipient of the Henry C. Turner Prize, Dies"

The Seattle Times Pacific NW 9/12/21: "Rising to the Challenge"

Posted May 2012, updated February 2021