PACK POINTS
Towering figure
Robertson's design was credited with allowing thousands of people to escape the towers before they collapsed following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Leslie E. Robertson
Leslie E. Robertson, who led the structural design of the former World Trade Center, delivered the annual Paul Zia Distinguished Lecture in Civil Engineering and Construction in September, packing the Raleigh Little Theatre near the NC State campus.
Dubbed the “Skyscraper Superstar” for his groundbreaking work on the World Trade Center and other towers, Robertson has redefined the upper limits of high-rise engineering and design. In his address, Robertson used his innovative designs to discuss how the complicated relationship between structural engineers and architects can produce brilliant results.
Robertson first gained worldwide attention in the 1960s for directing the structural design of the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York. His design was credited with allowing thousands of people to escape the towers before they collapsed following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Robertson and his New York-based firm, Leslie E. Robertson and Associates, are also responsible for the structural design of the 1,614-foot Shanghai World Financial Center, the world’s second-tallest completed building at the time of his address, and hundreds of other skyscrapers and structures around the world.
Robertson’s wife, SawTeen See, who joined him for his trip to Raleigh, is also an accomplished structural engineer.
The Zia lecture series was established in 2002 to honor the accomplishments of Dr. Paul Zia, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at NC State. Zia is a leading figure in the fields of concrete and structural engineering and served as head of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering for nine years.
The series is presented by NC State’s Constructed
Facilities Laboratory and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. 