Architect Dies In Bike Crash; Designed Plaza At Reston Station

RESTON, VA — Architect Helmut Jahn, 81, who designed the Plaza at Reston Station and the first office building at that project, died in a bicycle collision Saturday in Campton Hills, Illinois.

Police in the western Chicago suburb said Jahn was riding his bicycle north on Old Lafox Road toward Burlington Road around 3:30 p.m. and did not stop at the stop sign, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

Jahn was stuck by a car headed east on Burlington Road, and died at the scene, according to the report. A second car that was headed west on Burlington also struck him.

A prominent international architect, Jahn worked on the designs of the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as the Illinois state government building. His work includes libraries, corporate headquarters, residential properties and transportation centers across the world.

Work on the mixed-use, transit-oriented development that would become the Jahn-designed Plaza at Reston Station began in April 2011 with the construction of a $91.3 million underground parking garage. The project was part of a public-private partnership with Comstock Companies.

Comstock originally passed on a proposal from Jahn's Chicago-based company for a residential building, but then later chose Jahn to design the iconic office building at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza.

"The Reston community has continually asked for world-class architecture," said Maggie Parker, executive director of Partnership Reston and a former Comstock spokeswoman. "The new development along the Silver Line is delivering that, as witnessed by Comstock's Jahn building. Reston may be fortunate to have another Jahn building being delivered posthumously."

In 2019, Comstock tapped the architect again to design another office building in Reston, this time for the developer's Commerce Metro Center project on the other side of the Dulles Access Road, according to the Washington Business Journal.

Charles Kapur, president and CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, said Jahn's designs left an indelible mark on the Reston community.

"His designs speak to Reston’s commitment, and ability, to deliver the finest commercial real estate to businesses operating within the Dulles Corridor," he said.

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Helmut Jahn, World-Famous Architect, Killed While On Bike Ride