ROODT, Leon

Architect

BArch (Witwatersrand)

LEON Roodt (1924-95) van Bloemfontein het op 11 September te sterwe gekom. Hy was baie bekend tussen die ouer geslag van die Suid Afrikaanse argitek gemeente. Leon het soms na die hedendaagse verwys as 'n tydperk waar mense die prys van alles weet, maar die waarde van min. Dit beteken dat alles in ekonomiese terme oorweeg word en dus ook argitektuur en die stedelike omgewing. Hy was veral besorg oor die oop ruimtes in Bloemfontein wat onder die vaandel van 'ekonomiese vooruitgang' - verpand is aan ontwikkelaars wat nie noodwendig die beste belange van die publiek op die hart dra nie.

Hy het in alle opsigte gepoog om 'n klient waarde vir geld te bied. Persoonlik beskou ek sy NG Kerkgeboue te Dagbreek en die Moedergemeente in Welkom as besonders, vanwee die bepaalde nuwe visie op hierdie tipe gebou asook die interessante tegniese aspekte van albei geboue. Leon se verskeie restourasieprojekte en sy vermoe om historiese 'clues' te interpreteer het dit vir almal 'n plesier gemaak om aan die projekte te werk.

[Obituary by Anton Roodt. LEON Roodt (1924-95) in SA Architect, Nov/Dec, 1995. p. 6.]

LEON Roodt (1924-95) of Bloemfontein died on 11 September. He was well known among the older generation of the South African architectural community. Leon sometimes referred to the present as a period where people know the price of everything but the value of little. This means that everything is considered in economic terms and therefore also architecture and the urban environment. He was particularly concerned about the open spaces in Bloemfontein which under the banner of 'economic progress' - were pawned to developers who did not necessarily have the best interests of the public at heart.

He tried in every way to give a client value for money. Personally I consider the DRC Buildings at Dagbreek and the Mother Church in Welkom as special, because of the specific new approach to this type of building and the interesting technical aspects of both buildings. Leon's various restoration projects and his ability to interpret historical 'clues' made it a pleasure for all to work on the projects.

In 1952 he started the firm THE ROODT PARTNERSHIP in Bloemfontein. His son Anton ROODT is also an architect and joined the firm in 1982.

List of projects

With photographs
With notes

Medicyn Forum: 1960s [?]. Welkom, Free State - Architect

Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk: 1950s. Welkom, Free State - Architect

Articles by ROODT

ROODT, L. 1965. The central business district of Welkom. South African Architectural Record. 50 (8) pp 21-23

ROODT, L. 1966. Town plan of Welkom. South African Architectural Record. 51 (11) pp 36-39

ROODT, L. 1976. Die ou Presidensie, Bloemfontein. Restorica. 17 (33) pp 49-51

ROODT, L. 1987. Die restourasie van die Ou Presidensie Bloemfontein. Architecture SA. Vol 34 Issue 1. Jan pp 17-18

ROODT, L. 1990. The case of the wet pulpit : N.G. Kerk Welkom : solutions. SA builder. Vol 32 Issue 4, Mar p 20

ROODT, L. 1991. Restourasie van die N.G. Kerk Rouxville / L. Roodt. Cura pp 3-7

Books citing ROODT

Greig, Doreen. 1971. A Guide to Architecture in South Africa. Cape Town: Howard Timmins. pp 224

ISAA. 1959. The Yearbook of the Institute of South African Architects and Chapter of SA Quantity Surveyors 1958-1959 : Die Jaarboek van die Instituut van Suid-Afrikaanse Argitekte en Tak van Suid-Afrikaanse Bourekenaars 1958-1959. Johannesburg: ISAA. pp 96, 229

ISAA. 1969. The Yearbook of the Institute of South African Architects and Chapter of SA Quantity Surveyors 1968-1969 : Die Jaarboek van die Instituut van Suid-Afrikaanse Argitekte en Tak van Suid-Afrikaanse Bourekenaars 1968-1969. Johannesburg: ISAA. pp 100, 191

Entries in books by ROODT

Roodt, Leon. Louw, Wynand Hendrik. In Dictionary of South African Biography Volume IV. 1981. Butterworth & Co (SA) for Human Sciences Research Council

Roodt, Leon. Moerdijk, Gerard Leendert Pieter. In Dictionary of South African Biography Volume III. 1977. Tafelberg for The Human Sciences Research Council