Michael Graves, the renowned architect and founder of Michael Graves Architecture & Design (MGA&D), died peacefully of natural causes in his home in Princeton, New Jersey on Thursday. He was 80 years old.
Born in Indianapolis on July 9, 1934, Michael Graves is regarded as bringing "post-modernism" to the masses. As a young architect, Graves worked for George Nelson who sparked his deep interest in American pop culture, which was conveyed throughout his work. Graves also collaborated with teaching colleague Peter Eisenman in numerous competitions and was also part of the New York Five. Wherever Michael Graves' name was mentioned, plenty of attention -- good or not -- was sure to follow, and will continue to do so for years to come. For starters, the Kean University Michael Graves School of Architecture is slated to open later this year.
His firm, Michael Graves Architecture & Design, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014. Reflecting Graves' wide range of design interests and focused towards "humanizing" design, the firm has created buildings of various typologies and everyday consumer products for a number of clients including Fortune 100 firms, international developers, educational institutions, governmental agencies, non-profits, and global companies like Target, Alessi, Stryker, and Disney. The firm has won over 200 awards in its legacy. Graves himself was awarded the 2001 AIA Gold Medal and the 1999 National Medal of Arts, among other lifetime achievement prizes.
Below is the official announcement from MGA&D's website:
"Since founding the firm in 1964, Michael transformed the role of architects and designers, and even the place of design in our everyday lives. For those of us who had the opportunity to work closely with Michael, we knew him as an extraordinary designer, teacher, mentor and friend. For the countless students that he taught for more than 40 years, Michael was an inspiring professor who encouraged everyone to find their unique design voice.
Of all of his accomplishments, Michael often said that, like his own family, his proudest creation was his firm. As we go forward in our practice, we will continue to honor Michael’s humanistic design philosophy through our commitment to creating unique design solutions that transform people’s lives.
Plans for a public memorial that will be held in Princeton will be announced in the near future."
16 Comments
How did I not know he was a George Nelson disciple... Makes perfect sense.
When design was about design.... Who will replace all of the greats? PR hustlers and con men...
If Michael Graves can make a name for himself with that mess, anything is possible...thank you for the inspiration Mr. Graves!
RIP
The Humana building is a truly wonderful building, and it holds up to this day. It fulfilled (and exceeded) all of the client's program expectations and it brings delight on every visit.
Graves' influence is enormous.
Thanks for that, Donna. That's the building of his I've always wanted to see, and hope to one day.
Sad...
citizen, I love the Portland building too, but Humana is significantly better in every single way than Portland. I think you could say that Portland had a bigger impact immediately on the local architecture scene than did Humana, but Portland was starting a huge growth boom anyway right a the time it was finished. Louisville moves in a much more relaxed, languorous way...and Humana is graceful in kind.
His biggest contribution was his humanism. His work was a life preserver to those of us who feared having to design cold and sterile buildings devoid of tradition and ornament. While his signature style is not something I would personally advocate, when viewed in its time, it was a welcome and needed relief to a profession some felt had driven into a dead end. He was also a nice person.
No matter your opinion on the man or his work, it's hard to deny Graves' enormous influence on the practice and education in the last quarter of the Twentieth Century. His sense of humor and his renaissance capabilities will be sorely missed.
RIP
I agree, Donna... Portland has many problems but it has a certain kind of integrity that I admire --even if I don't like everything about it.
Humana strikes me as more evolved. And the images of that sky terrace knock me out!
Michael Graves was enormously influential for me. He was one of the first to show that another path was possible. His work was the branching point leading to the current contemporary classicism. As I've probably said here before, I think about him every morning, when I look at the Alessi tea kettle that sits on my stove. Go with God, Mr. Graves.
My favorite Graves buildings have always been the more restrained ones, where the tectonics are clearer and the forms are less exaggerated and "cartoonish". A few of his best (or my favs):
NCAA Hall of Champions, Indianapolis:
Clo Pegase Winery:
San Juan Capistrano Library:
Bryan Hall, UVA:
Never saw the NCAA Hall before, nice. Except for the afterthought entry.
some of his earlier work (in case you thought he was post-modern from the get go)...and the evolution thereafter...
Hanselman House, Fort Wayne, IN
Snyderman house in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Plocek House in Warren, New Jersey
Denver Central Library
St. Coletta School of Greater Washington,D.C.
This was always my favorite Graves building.
once, when i was doing research on john hejduk, i ran across one of the best quotes he ever had about michael graves (talking about how they both had attended UC and Harvard):
"I thought it was very amusing that Mike Graves went out there. (He also went to Harvard after I did, always after.)"
Greg, I seem to remember that one too. Funny.
Reading a piece on him in the NYT this weekend, I seem to remember his view of architecture was changed from studying in Rome for two years. We all have differing reactions to places like Rome, but if it does affect you, it's hard to look at the world in the same light, especially if you've had a modernist education.
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