Remembering Central Library Architect, Michael Graves

The designer and architect of our beloved Central Library passed away last Thursday. Michael Graves was not only architect of the building, but he also designed the carpet, the desks, and various other design features of our library. Mr. Graves was a graduate of Harvard and lived in Princeton, New Jersey, but he designed many buildings across the west.

One of Michael Graves' most loved, and also most criticized buildings, is the Disney studios in Burbank, California. The seven dwarves are a whimsical element holding the roof up mirroring gods and goddesses in Greek architecture. The building also has color choices and style elements similar to our Central Library. Other cities in the west with Michael Graves designed buildings are Fargo, North Dakota; Portland, Oregon; San Juan Capistrano, California; La Jolla, California; Calistoga, California; Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Santa Barbara, California; Malibu, California; Topeka, Kansas; Lacey, Washington; Houston, Texas; San Francisco, California; Austin, Texas; and College Station, Texas.

Michael Graves' name became more popularly recognized when he started designing household items in the 1980s. He created many popular designs for Target, and his stainless steel colander can still be purchased on their website. Some of his designs can be found in the Denver Art Museum's design collection. In our collection of Clipping Files we have many booklets and ads for Michael Graves design for Target.