Michael Graves

Art Appreciation Michael Graves Michael Graves is a post-modern architect born in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 9th 1934. He graduated from Broad Ripple High School; he then attended and got his bachelor degree at the University of Cincinnati. After getting his bachelors, he went to Harvard where he got his masters in Interior design. After college he started career as an architect, it was in 1968 when he designed and built the Hanselmann House in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He built houses for about 10 years until he started building all kinds of buildings. He built anything from the Dolphin Resort at Disney world from the Denver Public Library.

Graves has been designing buildings of all types since 1968 very rapidly, some years designing four or more buildings a year. One of Graves’s most famous buildings is the Portland building in Oregon. This building was made in 1980 and is unique because of how he surprised everyone with the exterior design.

He used a pair of classical columns that have no structural function. He made these columns stand out by setting them in a reflecting pool. The Portland public says the building is both formal and playful, governor Ivancie says that most big city building were beginning to be built to simple with Just glass outsides.

He says the Portland building doesn’t lack design features like other big city buildings. Some did criticize the design but most were thrilled by the uniqueness of the new building. People say there is type of humor to his designs and buildings. “Graves has become an opponent of modern works who uses humor as an integral part of his architecture” (1). Graves uses designs from the past and puts his own twist on them. “Graves re-interpreted the rational style that had been introduced by Le Corbusier in the 1920s into a neoclassical style” (1). Michael Graves has many building that are very famous, but his design on the

Humana Building in Louisville, Kentucky is maybe his best design he’s had. His design on this building got him in the time magazine. “TIME Magazine listed it as one of the 10 best buildings of the decade” (2). The building looks different from every side. Many say it is one of the most unique and distinctive skyscrapers in America. Critics say it is a textbook example of Postmodernism. Grave’s Humana building is said to have its fair share of flaws but the brilliant design more than counteracts the flaws. “While the building has undeniable flaws, they are easily outweighed by its attributes, hich have only grown stronger with time”(3).

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/house/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/technology_internetcritic/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humana_Building

http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Michael_Graves.html