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Michael Graves

Born: July 9, 1934
Died: March 12, 2015 (at age 80)
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, US

Biography

Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 - March 12, 2015) was an American architect. Identified as one of The New York Five, as well as Memphis Group, Graves was known first for his contemporary building designs and some prominent public commissions that became iconic examples of Postmodern architecture, such as the Portland Building and the Denver Public Library. His recognition grew through designing domestic products sold by premium Italian housewares maker Alessi, and later low-cost new designs at stores such as Target and J. C. Penney in the United States. He was a representative of New Urbanism and New Classical Architecture and formerly designed postmodern buildings, and was recognized as a major influence in all three movements.

Personal life

Graves was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Broad Ripple High School, receiving his diploma in 1952. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati where he also became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He earned a master's degree in architecture from Harvard University in 1959. Graves won the Rome Prize in 1960 and spent the next two years at the American Academy in Rome.

From 2003, Graves was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a spinal cord infection. He died at his home in Princeton, New Jersey on March 12, 2015 at the age of 80.

Career

Architecture

From 1964 until the end of his life, Graves was an architect in public practice in Princeton, New Jersey. He directed the firm Michael Graves & Associates, which has offices in Princeton and in New York City.

Early in his career, Graves was, along with Peter Eisenman, Charles Gwathmey, John Hejduk and Richard Meier, considered as one of the "New York Five", a group of New York City architects who espoused a pure form of modernism. In contrast to his later career, Graves spent much of the 1970s designing modernist residences, such as the Snyderman House in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

For most of his career, however, Graves shifted away from modernism toward postmodernism and new urbanism. One of his most famous works, the Portland Building, which opened in 1982 in Portland, Oregon, is regarded as the first major built example of postmodern architecture. The celebrated but controversial building, composed of municipal offices, is subject to an ongoing preservation debate. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Graves subsequently received a number of major commissions. Some of his most notable completed buildings include the Humana Building (a skyscraper in Louisville, Kentucky), the Denver Public Library, and the renovation of the Detroit Institute of Arts. He built many buildings for the Walt Disney Company, including the company headquarters in Burbank, California, Disney's Hotel New York at Disneyland Paris, and the Swan and Dolphin resorts at Walt Disney World. In the 1980s, he also designed an expansion for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, but the highly contested design went unbuilt due to local opposition.

Though Graves' prominence as an architect may have reached its highest point during the 1980s and into the early 1990s, he continued to practice as an architect throughout his life, completing various works such as the O'Reilly Theater, the NCAA Hall of Champions, 425 Fifth Avenue, and the Louwman Museum.

Graves also received recognition for his multi-year renovation of his personal residence in Princeton, nicknamed "The Warehouse".

Product and furniture design

In 1985, Graves designed a stainless steel teakettle featuring a red whistle shaped like a bird for the Italian company Alessi, which became the company's all-time bestselling product.

Graves designed the scaffolding used for the restoration of the Washington Monument in Washington DC. During that assignment, which Target Corp sponsored, he met a Target executive who appreciated his product design and a relationship was formed. He began designing consumer products for the mass market and Target sold his products through their stores. In 1998, Target commissioned Graves to design a model home to showcase the new line of housewares; Graves went a step further did a complete design of the contemporary house with custom furniture, lighting, fixtures, and other unique items, making it only one of three homes he designed and furnished. By 2009, however, he noted the house "doesn't have a wow factor. That gets old quickly." The partnership went from less than a dozen objects in 1997 to more than 2,000 when the partnership with Target ended in 2012. By 2013, concerned about Target's partnerships with other designers with less-successful outcomes, he explored other relationships to bring products to consumers. When the former Target executive became CEO of J.C. Penney, his products switched over to being sold exclusively through J.C. Penney.

After Graves became paralyzed, his use of a wheelchair turned him into a "reluctant health expert", with an increased awareness of accessible design. He focused his attention on the design of wheelchairs, hospital furnishings, hospitals, and disabled veteran's housing.

Academia

In 1962, Graves became the Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture, Emeritus at Princeton University. He held the position for thirty-nine years, while simultaneously practicing architecture, before finally retiring from the post in 2001.

In 2014, the Michael Graves School of Architecture was established at Kean University in Union, New Jersey.

Graves received honorary degrees from various universities, including Emory University, the University of Virginia, and the University of Miami.

Awards and honors

Graves was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1979. Graves was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1999, the AIA Gold Medal in 2001, and the Driehaus Architecture Prize in 2012. He was also a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council. In 2010, Graves was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

On November 22, 2014, the Architectural League of New York held a symposium in his honor, in which several prominent architects such as Steven Holl and Peter Eisenman as well as Graves himself served as guests and lecturers. From October 13, 2014 until April 5, 2015, the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey held a retrospective exhibition of his work, entitled Michael Graves: Past as Prologue.

Works

Hanselmann House, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1968
Benacerraf House, Princeton, New Jersey, 1969
Snyderman House, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1972
Wageman House, Princeton, New Jersey, 1974
Fargo-Moorhead Cultural Center Bridge, Fargo, North Dakota, 1977
Plocek Residence, Warren, New Jersey, 1977 (1st postmodern design)
Roma Interrotta Exhibition, Rome, Italy, 1978
Portland Building, Portland, Oregon, 1982
Humana Building, Louisville, Kentucky, 1982
Newark Museum expansion, Newark, New Jersey, 1982
San Juan Capistrano Library, San Juan Capistrano, California, 1982
Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1984
Aventine Mixed Use Development, La Jolla, California, 1985
Crown American Building, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1986
Team Disney Building, Burbank, California, 1986
Graves Residence "The Warehouse," Princeton, New Jersey, 1986
Shiseido Health Club, Tokyo, Japan, 1986
Clos Pegase Winery, Calistoga, California, 1987
University Of Virginia, Bryan Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1987
Dolphin Resort, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, 1987
Swan Resort, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, 1987
Metropolis Master Plan, Los Angeles, California, 1988
Tajima Office Building, Tokyo, Japan, 1988
Disney's Hotel New York, Euro Disney Resort (now Disneyland Paris), Marne-la-Vallée, France, 1989
10 Peachtree Place, Atlanta, Georgia, 1990
Clark County Library and Theater, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1990
Dairy Barn renovation, Harbourton, New Jersey, 1990
Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado, 1990
Detroit Institute of Arts master plan, Detroit, Michigan, 1990
Fukuoka Hyatt Hotel and Office Building, Fukuoka, Japan, 1990
Kasumi Research and Training Center, Tsukaba, Japan, 1990
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 1990
Malibu House (private residence), Malibu, California, 1990
Onjuku Town Hall, Onjuku, Japan, 1990
University of Cincinnati College of Engineering, Engineering Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1990
Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, Youngstown, Ohio, 1990
Stockton University, Arts and Sciences Building, Pomona, New Jersey, 1991
Thomson Consumer Electronics Americas headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1992
United States Courthouse Renovation, Trenton, New Jersey, 1992
Astrid Park Plaza Hotel and Business Center, Antwerp, Belgium, 1993
International Finance Corporation Headquarters of the World Bank, Washington, DC, 1993
Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 1993
Ministry Of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Hague, Holland, 1993
Nexus Momochi Residential Tower, Fukuoka, Japan, 1993
Archdiocesan Center, Newark, New Jersey, 1993
Rome Reborn Exhibition, Washington, DC, 1993
United States Post Office, Celebration, Florida, 1993
1500 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, 1994
Ocean Steps Retail Center with 1500 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, 1994
One Port Center (Delaware River Port Authority headquarters), Camden, New Jersey, 1994
Pura-Williams House, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, 1994
Miramar Resort Hotel, El Gouna, Egypt, 1995
Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, Kansas, 1995
The Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, 1995
American Academy in Rome Rare Books Library, Rome, Italy, 1996
Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library, Alexandria, Virginia, 1996
House At Indian Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1996
Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1996
Lake Hills Country Club, Seoul, Korea, 1996
Miele Americas Headquarters, Princeton, New Jersey, 1996
O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1996
French Institute⁄Alliance Française Library, New York, New York, 1997
De Luwte House, Loenen aan de Vecht, Netherlands, 1997
Drexel University North Hall Residence, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1997
El Gouna Golf Club, El Gouna, Egypt, 1997
El Gouna Golf Hotel, El Gouna, Egypt, 1997
El Gouna Golf Villas, El Gouna, Egypt, 1997
Fortis/AG Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, 1997
Fukuoka Office Building, Fukuoka, Japan, 1997
Hyatt Hotel Taba Heights, Taba Heights, Egypt, 1997
Intercontinental Hotel, Taba Heights, Egypt, 1997
Laurel Hall, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, 1997
NCAA Hall of Champions and headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1997
United States Federal Courthouse, Washington, DC, 1997
Bristol/Savoy Towers (Ten Good City), Fukuoka, Japan, 1998
Cedar Gables House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1998
Impala Building, New York, New York, 1998
Castalia Building (Ministry of Public Health), The Hague, Netherlands, 1998
Saint Martin’s College Library, Lacey, Washington, 1998
New Jersey Institute of Technology Master Plan, Newark, New Jersey, 1999
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Laurel Hall Expansion, Newark, New Jersey, 1999
Philadelphia Eagles/Novacare Training Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1999
Pittsburgh Cultural District Service Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1999
Private Residence, Harbourton, New Jersey, 1999
Rice University, Martel, Brown & Jones Colleges, Houston,Texas, 1999
Singapore National Library Competition, Singapore, 1999
Target House Fountain, Memphis, Tennessee, 1999
Washington Monument restoration and scaffolding Washington, DC, 1999
Watch Technicum, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1999
425 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, 2000
Capital Regional Medical Center, Tallahassee Community Hospital, Tallahassee, Florida, 2000
Famille Tsukishima Apartment Building, Tokyo, Japan, 2000
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Houston Branch, Texas, 2000
Hart Production Studios, San Francisco, California, 2000
Newark Museum Science Gallery, Newark, New Jersey, 2000
Perseus Office, Washington, DC, 2000
Private Residence, Lake Geneva, Switzerland, 2000
United States Embassy Compound - Embassy & Housing, Seoul, Korea, 2000
Children's Theatre Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2001
Fukuoka Office Building, Fukuoka, Japan, 2001
Kasteel Holterveste, De Haverleij, Netherlands, 2001
Mahler 4, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2001
Michael C. Carlos Museum Renovation, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 2001
Three On The Bund, Shanghai, China, 2001
Arts Council of Princeton, Princeton, New Jersey, 2002
Department of Transportation Headquarters, Washington, DC, 2002
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics Kohn Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 2002
National Museum of Prehistory, Taitung, Taiwan, 2002
New Jersey City University Arts and Science Building, Jersey City, New Jersey, 2002
New Jersey State Police Training Center & Headquarters, Trenton, New Jersey, 2002
Resort Master Plan - Canary Islands, Canary Islands, Spain, 2002
Rice University South Campus Master Plan, Houston, Texas, 2002
St. Mary's Catholic Church, Rockledge, Florida, 2002.
Target Club Wedd House contest prize, 2002
Florida Institute of Technology Master Plan, Melbourne, Florida, 2003
George Washington University Sigma Chi Fraternity House, Washington, DC, 2003
Housing For Martin House, Trenton, New Jersey, 2003
The Pinnacle And 260 Main Street, White Plains, New York, 2003
United States Courthouse, Nashville, Tennessee, 2003
Fox School of Business Alter Hall, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2004
Indianapolis Art Center Master Plan, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2004
Maxwell Place On The Hudson, Interiors Block A, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2004
Princeton University Chancellor Green Interiors, Princeton, New Jersey, 2004
Riverwalk 2, Nishinippon Institute of Technology Design School, Kitakyushu, Japan, 2004
Trump International Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 2004
University of Miami School Of Business, Miami, Florida, 2004
701 E. Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, 2005
Azulera Resort, Hotel and Residences, Brasilito Bay Guanacaste, Costa Rica, 2005
Burj Dubai Towers, Dubai, UAE, 2005
The Enclave Residential Condominiums, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 2005
Florida Institute of Technology College Of Psychology & Autism, Melbourne, Florida, 2005
Hyatt Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon, 2005
Luxury Condominium Towers, Beirut, Lebanon, 2005
Maxwell Place On The Hudson, Interiors Block B, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2005
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, Virginia, 2005
Paterson Public Schools complex, Patterson, New Jersey, 2005
Riverside Park Residential Development master plan, Fairfax County, Virginia, 2005
Springhill Lake master plan, Greenbelt, Maryland, 2005
Storehouse prototype retail store, West Palm Beach, Florida, 2005
Allegria Residence, 6th of October City, Egypt, 2006
The Falls at Lake Travis Community Master Plan, Austin, Texas, 2006
Four Seasons Residence at Town Lake, Austin, Texas, 2006
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Expansion, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2006
Notre Dame Club, Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana, 2006
Private Residence, Sentosa, Singapore, 2006
St. Regis Cairo, Cairo, Egypt, 2006
Shake-a-Leg Residences, Miami, Florida, 2006
St. Coletta of Greater Washington, Washington, DC, 2006
Wyndham Hotels Prototypes, 2006
Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, New York, 2007
Community Master Plan, New Cairo, Egypt, 2007
Detroit Institute of Arts, major renovation and expansion, Detroit, Michigan, 2007
MarketFair Retail Center, Princeton, New Jersey, 2007
Equestrian City Tower, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2008
Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, Arts Council of Princeton, 2008
Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy and Department of Physics Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 2009
Alter Hall, Fox School of Business, Temple University, 2009
Princeton University Wu-Wilcox Halls Additions & Interiors, Princeton, New Jersey, 2006
Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore, 2010
Louwman Museum (National Automobile Museum), The Hague, The Netherlands, 2010
PS/IS 42, Arverne, New York, 2012