Famed postmodernist architect Michael Graves died of natural causes today at his Princeton, New Jersey home. The architect’s passing was announced by the eponymous firm that he founded in 1964. Graves was 80 years old.
“For those of us who had the opportunity to work closely with Michael, we knew him as an extraordinary designer, teacher, mentor and friend,” said the firm in a statement. “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.”
Among his highest profile projects were the Portland Building in Oregon and the Humana Building in Louisville, Kentucky. Recently, he had devoted his practice to healthcare design and architecture for people with disabilities. He was also famous for bringing his industrial designs to mass production through his collaboration with Target and later J.C. Penney.
Plans for a public memorial in Princeton to honor Graves will be announced soon.