Miguel Ángel Rosales Izás (born 1961 in Guatemala) is an American architect specializing in bridge aesthetics and design. He is the president and principal designer of Rosales+, an architecture and engineering firm based in Boston, Massachusetts specializing in the development of design, engineering and architecture projects for bridges, highways, landscape and urban accessibility.
Early life and education
Rosales was born in
Guatemala City,
Guatemala, in 1961, the eldest of four sons of Marco Antonio Rosales, a pharmacist, and Lidia Izás, a homemaker. He earned a degree in architecture at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín in 1984.
In 1985 he enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
[ to study Urban and Environmental Design, completing a Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) degree in 1987.]
Career
Rosales initially worked with Swiss engineer and bridge designer Christian Menn,[
]
In 1997, he started his own independent architecture and engineering professional practice, Rosales + Partners, in Boston.
Other projects include the Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge over the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas, completed in 2012, the Christina and John Markey Memorial Pedestrian Bridge,
In 2001 he instituted the Miguel Rosales Award for the Universidad Francisco Mallorquín School of Architecture student with the highest grade point average in his class.
Design philosophy
Rosales’s design philosophy centers on creating cost-effective, architecturally distinctive, and visually engaging structures that contribute to their surroundings. He combines architectural considerations with engineering innovation to realize designs that are both functional and compatible with their context. Born in Guatemala, a country where the general public can not express their opinion about urban projects, when he went to live and work in Boston he realized the importance of prioritizing user experience,
Some projects met initial initial resistance from local residents, such as the Fore River Bridge. Rosales emphasized that the conceived vertical-lift bridge had technical advantages, and that a huge effort had been made to avoid immense costs and to improve the appearance. It incorporated elements of the 1936 Art Deco-style bridge, including also features like colored lighting at night and stainless steel screening of the towers at either end to make it more attractive.
Rosales' work is making communities aware of preserving their historic architecture, thus propelling the future of traditional design.
Personal life
Rosales lives on Mount Vernon Street in the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston.
Completed projects
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2025: Bill Russell Bridge, Boston, MA
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2023: East 54th Street footbridge, Manhattan, New York City
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2019: Frances Appleton Bridge, Boston, MA
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2018: Fore River Bridge, Quincy and Weymouth, MA
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2018: Longfellow Bridge, Boston, MA
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2016: Moody Pedestrian Bridge, Austin, TX
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2014: Como Park Pedestrian Bridge restoration, St. Paul, MN
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2013: Christina and John Markey Memorial Pedestrian Bridge, Revere, MA
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2012: Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge, Fort Worth, TX
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2008: Woodrow Wilson Bridge and Maryland Interchange, Washington, DC
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2008: John Glenn Columbus International Airport taxiway bridge, Columbus, OH
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2005: George Washington Carver Bridge, Des Moines, IA
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2005: I-235 Pedestrian Bridges, Des Moines, IA
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Edna M. Griffin Memorial Bridge
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40th Street Pedestrian Bridge
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44th Street Pedestrian Bridge
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2004: Puente Centenario, Panama Canal, Panama
[
]
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2004: Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy River, Greenville, SC
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2003: Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, Boston, MA
[
]
Other projects
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Tilikum Crossing, Portland, Oregon; a hybrid suspension/cable-stayed which was recommended by the design committee, but not performed due to costs
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Trio of pedestrian bridges in Cleveland, Ohio:
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drawbridge at North Coast Harbor,
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pedestrian bridge leading to Wendy Park at Whiskey Island from the north end of the Willow Street Bridge,
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S-shaped pedestrian bridge linking the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Temple Tifereth Israel, renovated by Case Western Reserve University as a performing-arts center.
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Northern Avenue Bridge, Boston, Massachusetts
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Harvard Bridge, linking Back Bay with Cambridge, Massachusetts
Awards and honors
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2009 Gustav Lindenthal Medal: Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge
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2013 Engineering Excellence Awards: Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge
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ACEC National Recognition Award,
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ACEC Texas Eminent Conceptor,
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ACEC Texas Structural Systems Gold
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2014 Bridge Awards, category Special Purpose: Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge
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2018 Lighting Design Award – Heritage Lighting LIT: Longfellow Bridge
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2021 Commercial Palladio Winner: Longfellow Bridge
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2025 Landezine International Landscape Award: 54th Street Bridge and East Midtown Greenway
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2025: the City of Boston officially declares July 9 ‘Miguel Rosales Day’ in honor of the transformative and indelible impact made on the city’s infrastructure and skyline
Further reading
External links
