ASIA KIWI ARCHITECTS - Remembering Rossano Fan

Professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, Michelle Wang, pays homage to an influential yet largely unrecognised Asian architect

Few of us knew who Rossano Fan was; personally, out of all the golden-age Asian architects of Aotearoa, I had only ever heard of Ron Sang.

When I began my journey with Asia Kiwi Architects, a colleague, Norman Wei, suggested I look into a YouTube video about a renowned Asian Kiwi architect from the ’60s and ’70s. The video, The Artist and Architect, from the early 2000s’ New Zealand On Air series Asia Downunder, offered a glimpse of his architecture and local recognition.

Through this pixelated, five-minute video, I fell down a rabbit hole. Who was Rossano Fan? Why was there so little written about him beyond a few obituaries and real estate listings? There was no mention of him by the NZIA or Architecture NZ, despite having a TV episode dedicated to him.

I, then, came across an archived page from the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF). In 2011, the NZIFF featured a documentary about Fan by Richard Riddiford. The film reveals Fan’s journey from Hong Kong to Levin, reflecting on his tumultuous life, including his struggles as an apprentice architect.

After viewing the documentary, I was overwhelmed with grief. Why was he forgotten? Was it because he never registered as an architect? Was it the turmoil of his early life and the generational trauma from the Cultural Revolution? Or the racism many Asians endured at that time?

A portrait of Rossano Fan by The Temptation of Rossano Fan director Richard Riddiford. Image: Supplied

Riddiford shared the story behind his film. While shooting a documentary about Ian Athfield, he was struck by how often Athfield mentioned Fan. This sparked Riddiford’s curiosity, leading him to visit Fan in Upper Hutt, where he found him living in hardship and obsessively painting in his retirement.

Born in Guangzhou on 13 October 1934, Fan grew up amidst the cultural and political changes brought by the Cultural Revolution. His father, Fan Chi Hung, was an architect and a significant influence on Fan’s interest in architecture. Fan’s aspirations to become a famous architect were shaped by his father’s work.

The Bank of China, circa 1940, and Fan’s father, architect Fan Chi Hung. Image: Supplied

56a Highbury Drive, Levin, (1974) by Rossano Fan. Image: Phil Armitage, Photaki Images NZ

In the early 1950s, Fan moved to Hong Kong, where he found his first creative job designing Chinese character headstones. He met Mary Sue, a market gardener from Levin, who was visiting Hong Kong.

Their marriage in 1963 led to Fan’s relocation to Aotearoa, where Sue’s support enabled him to pursue a career in architecture.

Fan initially found it difficult to adapt to the slower pace of Levin, which was vastly different from the urban hustle of Hong Kong. However, he soon began to establish his architectural presence in Aotearoa.

He started his career as an apprentice with David Taylor, an architect based in Palmerston North, who provided him with foundational experience in Aotearoa’s architectural scene. Fan’s time under Taylor’s guidance influenced his architectural style, particularly his interest in timber structures and local building techniques.

In the mid-1960s, Fan took the opportunity to study in the United States under Hungarian modernist architect Marcel Breuer. Although he was exposed to new ideas, Fan eventually found that his vision did not align with the dominant trends of American architecture, which favoured concrete-and-steel highrises.

He returned to Aotearoa after a few years to start his own practice. His design philosophy drew heavily from Japanese post-and-beam techniques, which emphasised simplicity, natural materials and harmonious integration with the environment. The King House completed in 1967, exemplifies this fusion of styles.

Rossano Fan is portrayed in Richard Riddiford’s 2011 film as a ‘tortured artist’. Image: Supplied

Although Fan’s architectural career was intermittent, he managed to establish connections with notable architects like Roger Walker and Ian Athfield. Yet, despite these associations, he struggled to gain widespread recognition. By the early 1990s, he transitioned from architecture to painting, moving to Pōneke Wellington and retiring from architectural practice to focus on art. His work was exhibited internationally, including in Beijing, where he spent some time before returning to Aotearoa.

Fan passed away in 2014. His story is one of ambition, creativity and resilience. Regardless of the obstacles he faced, his contributions to Aotearoa’s architectural and artistic landscapes remain significant.

The King House, Paremata, (1967) by Rossano Fan. (Harcourts listing #PE9036, 2021). Image: Supplied

Originally published in Architecture NOW, November 2024