Paul Rudolph (Architect, 1918-1997)
Architect Paul Rudolph was a member of the modern movement known for his cubist building designs. He trained at Harvard University and then began his career in Sarasota, Florida where his residential work, adapted to the subtropical climate, became known as Sarasota Modern. As he captured more notice, he began to receive bigger and bigger commissions, including the Jewett Art Center at Wellesley College and, his Brutalist masterpiece, the Yale Art and Architecture Building in New Haven, Connecticut. Between 1958 and 1965, shortly after designing the Yale building, he served as dean of the Yale School of Architecture. He also designed the University of Massachusetts’ main campus in Dartmouth, the Dana Arts Center at Colgate University, and the Burroughs Wellcome headquarters in North Carolina. When Paul Rudolph’s style became less popular in the United States in the 1970s, he turned to designing buildings in Asia. His 1987 Lippo Centre is a Hong Kong landmark. His building designs can be found around the world, in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East, as well as the United States. Paul Rudolph was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and received the institute’s Medal of Honor. He was very influential on the course of American mid-century architecture.
In 1997, Paul Rudolph died of mesothelioma. He was 78. As an architect, Paul Rudolph would have been exposed to asbestos widely used in building construction in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He also served in the naval reserve during World War II, and he could have had exposure to asbestos-containing products during that period as well.
