Pulpit

James Rossant

1965  |  Concrete

The Pulpit was designed by architect and artist James Rossant, and is one of two unplanned sculptural elements that provide an elevated vantage point over Lake Anne Village Center.   While the Lookout Tower was created to test the water levels of Lake Anne, the Pulpit was a means to optically correct the slight incline of the sea wall along the inlet by initiating the first of the columns that continue down the quayside and support the townhouses further on.  This architectural, site-specific and interactive sculpture is made of the same molded concrete, poured on-site and used in the surrounding architecture.  The rectangular platform rises at the water’s edge atop a cylindrical concrete column and accessed by a short, steep stairway.  The use of reinforced concrete poured in place relates Rossant’s pieces to the surrounding buildings and the works by fellow artist Gonzalo Fonseca.  Rossant referred to the Pulpit as the lookout of a sunken frigate as well as a place to look from and be looked at.  It serves as both play structure and visually sophisticated work of art and adds a sense of theatricality to the plaza.

Owner: Reston Association

Photo: Charlotte Geary