MICHAEL GRAVES
SUBMITTED BY:
ABHIJEET SHARMA
INTRODUCTION
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•
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DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
NATIONALITY
EDUCATION
• PROFESSION
APRIL 1934
INDIANAPOLIS IN INDIANA, U.S.A
AMERICAN
1. RECEIVED ARCHITECTURAL
TRAINING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
CINCINNATI & HARVARD UNIVERSITY
2. WON “THE ROME PRIZE” IN
1960 & STUDIED FOR 2 YEARS AT
“AMERICAN ACADEMY” IN ROME.
BEGAN HIS PRACTICE IN 1964 IN
PRINCETON, NEW JERCY.
FIRM- MICHAL GRAVES & ASSOCIATES,
1964, (A 75 PERSONS FIRM)
INFLUENCES
• GRAVES CONTINUES TO TURN TO
ARCHITECTURE ITSELF FOR HIS
INSPIRATION.
• HE HAS A DEEP INTEREST IN
EXISTING
ARCHITECTURE :- ANCIENT, NEOCLASSICAL, MODERN - & DERIVES
PLEASURE FROM REINTERPRETING
IT’S FORMS & COMPOSITIONS.
• HE GIVES CREDENCE TO THE BASIC
TENET THAT THERE IS NO SUCH
THING AS AN ORIGINAL IDEA BUT
THAT EVERYTHING ORIGINAL IS
BASED ON THE REWORKING OF
WHAT ALREADY EXISTS.
ONE VERY STRONG INFLUENCE ON THE WORK OF GRAVES
IS THE INTEREST IN & APPRECIATION OF; THE SIMPLE
DOMESTIC RITUALS OF LIFE THAT ONE ENJOYS OR OUGHT
TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY, DESPITE THE SPEED AT WHICH
TECHNOLOGY IS RURTLING US INTO THE CYBER SPACE.
JAPAN TRAVEL
•GRAVES HAS BEEN STEADILY DEVELOPING
HIS PRACTICE IN JAPAN FOR THE LAST 15
YEARS.
•HE EXPLAIN THAT JAPAN HAS “BECOME A
PLACE TO EXPERIMENT A BIT WITH
ABSTRACTION. IN EUROPE & AMERICA I’M
PROBABLY A BIT MORE CONSCIOUS OF
HISTORIC CONTEXT”. BECAUSE SO OFTEN
THE CITIES WE’VE BEEN ASKED TO DESIGN
FOR THERE ARE COMPLETELY REBUILT.
TAJIMA OFFICE BUILDING
• IN JAPAN GRAVES ARCHITECTURE
WAS SEEN AS ‘HUMANISTIC’
RATHER THAN ‘MECHANISTIC’ i.e.
IN TERMS OF MATERIALS & THE
ANTHROPOMETRIC QUALITIES OF
THE BUILDING. HE USED MAN AS
THE METAPHOR RATHER THAN THE
MACHINE.
FUJIAN XINGE BANKING TOWER
PHILOSOPHY
•
GRAVE’S LANGUAGE OF ARCHITECTIRE OPERATES ON A
NUMBER OF LEVELS. IT IS MEANT TO BE LEGIBLE & A PART OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
•
SECONDLY, & CERTAINLY NO LESS
IMPORTANT ALTHOUGH ADMITTEDLY MORE
UNDERSTANDABLE TO THE TRAINED EYE,
IS A PASSIONATE & SOMETIMES PLAYFUL
INTEREST IN REWORKING THE COMMONLY
ACCEPTED LANGUAGE OF ARCHITECTURE
INTO A UNIQUELY PERSONAL EXPRESSION
OF WHAT IT MIGHT BECOME, WITHOUT
LOSING IT’S IDENTITY.
MOMOCHI DISTRICT APARTMENT
• THE REWORKING OF WHAT EXISTS INTO WHAT IS UNKNOWN
BUT STILL RECOGNIZABLE IS THE GOAL.
• GRAVE’S PRACTICE IS PRACTICE IN THE LITERAL SENSE OF
THE WORD. HE IS CONSTANTLY PRACTICING THE RULES &
PRINCIPLES OF ARCHITECTURE.
• HE DESIRES TO CREATE A PLEASANT, COMFORTABLE
ENVIORNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE IN HIS BUILDING.
HIS CONTINUALLY EVOLVING EXPERIMENTATION WITH
ARCHITECTURAL FORM & LANGUAGE AT THE LEVEL OF
ABSTRACTION & FIGURATION, SCALE & COLOR, SIZE &
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM IS SUCH THAT, THERE IS EMERGANCE
OF NEW IDEAS WITHOUT DENYING EXISTANCE OF
TRADITIIONS.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
GRAVES HAS BEEN AN ARCHITECT WHO IS
NOT SIMPLY CONCERNED WITH FORMAL
MANIPULATION OF A SELF- REFERENTIAL
LANGUAGE BUT IS EQUALLY OCCUPIED
WITH A BUILDING’S SIGNIFICANCE WITH
TIME & PLACE.
HE DESIGNS BUILDING IN A NEARPOPULIST ATTITUDE, SO THAT NON
ARCHITECTS CAN RECOGNIZE
DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
WITHIN THEIR COMPOSITIONS &
RELATE THEM IN SCALE TO THEIR
OWN BODIES.
HIS EARLY PROJECTS REVEAL DISTINCT REFERENCES
TO THE
ENVIORNMENT THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE A PART OF: A CURVE REFERRING TO THE CLOUDS ABOVE.
 A YELLOW RAIL REFERRING TO THE SUN
 A TERRACOTTA BASE SUGGESTING GROUNDING IN
THE
EARTH.
 A MURAL EXPANDING THE PERSPECTIVE OF A ROOM.
GRAVES STYLE IN 1980
1. GRAVES STRATEGY HAS BEEN “TO INTERNALIZE THE EVENTS
OF THE BUILDING”, IDENTIFYING PARTICULAR COMPONENTS
OF THE PROGRAM THAT CAN BE GIVEN FORMAL EMPHASIS.
THE RESULT IS THAT THESE LARGE COMPLEXES BECOME CITIES
INTO THEMSELVES, SELF CONTAINED BY SOMEWHAT INWARD
LOOKING.
2. WHETHER THE EMPHASIS OF THE BUILDING IS PRIMARILY
HORIZONTAL OR VERTICAL, A HIERARCHIAL ROUTE IS
ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE REPETITIVE SPACES.
3. RELATIONSHIP B/W INDOORS OR OUTDOORS BY “PUSHING THE
WALL AS FAR OUT AS IT CAN GET TO MAKE A BAY WINDOW
THAT GRABS THE LIGHT” e.g. HUMANA BUILDING
OR BY CARVING SOMETHING OUT OF THE FACE OF THE
BUILDING SO PEOPLE CAN LITERALLY GO OUTSIDE, e.g.
TAZIMA BUILDING.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
1). BUILT FORM
 INFLUENCED BY THE ROMAN STYLE,
GRAVES TRIED TO CREATE GRAND
INTERIOR SPACES BUT BROKEN
DOWN TO HUMAN SCALE.
 CUBICAL FACADES TREATED IN THE CLASSICAL THREE PART
DIVISION OR TRIPARTITE FORM WITH THE BASE, SHAFT &
CORNICE.
 IN LATER PROJECTS, THE STRICT FORM OF THE CUBE IS
BROKEN.
2). WINDOWS
 IT FORMS THE BASIC ELEMENT AS SURFACE TEXTURE, DUE
TO THEIR PROPORTION & REPETITION.
HUMANA BUILDING
PORTLAND BUILDING
WALT DISNEY
DOLPHIN HOTEL
3). FAÇADE
 USES COLUMN AS SURFACE
TREATMENT & DEFINING THE
CORNICE OR THE HEAD OF THE
BUILDING & ENTRANCE.
 FACADES ARE SYMMETRICAL &
LINEARITY BROKEN BY ADDING
VERTICAL BANDS OF COLORS &
WINDOWS.
 USES SQUARE WINDOWS BUT
TRIES TO ACHIEVE THE PRINCIPLES
OF NEOCLASSICAL STYLE.
MAJOR WORKS
HUMANA BUILDING
PLACE
: LOUISVILLE,KENTUCKY,HUMANA
DESIGN STARTED :1982
DESIGN COMPLETED:1985
STRUCTURE MATERIAL USED: STEEL FRAME & GRANITE
NO. OF STORIES : 26
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HUMANA BUILDING IS THE
HEADQUATERS WELL-KNOWN
AMERICAN COMPANY
SPECIALIZING IN HEALTH CARE.
THE MODERN BUILDINGS
SURROUNDING THE SITE ARE
SET BACK FROM THE STREET ON
PLAZAS, ERODING THE
HISTORICAL URBAN STREET
WALL PATTERN.
IN CONTRAST, THE HUMANA
BUILDING OCCUPIES ITS ENTIRE
SITE AND RE-ESTABLISHES THE
STREET EDGE AS AN ESSENTIAL
URBAN FORM.
VIEW FROM OHIO
RIVER

THE 525,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING INCLUDES TWO
PARKING LEVELS BELOW GRADE, RETAIL SHOPS ON THE
FIRST FLOOR, AND OFFICES AND CONFERENCE CENTER
ABOVE.
SITE PLAN
TWENTYFIFTH FLOOR
TERRACE
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THE BUILDING’S FORMAL ORGANISATION REFLECTS ITS
DEVISION INTO THESE SIGNIFICANT PARTS
THE LOWER PORTION, SIX STORIES HIGH, IS DEVOTED TO
PUBLIC SPACE AND TO HUMANA’S EXECUTIVE OFFICES.
GENERAL OFFICES ARE LOCATED IN THE BODY OF THE
BUILDING.
THE CONFERENCE CENTER OCCUPIES THE 25TH FLOOR, WITH
ACCESS TO A LARGE OUTDOOR PORCH OVERLOOKING THE CITY
AND THE RIVER BEYOND .
WALT DISNEY WORLD
DOLPHIN & SWAN HOTEL
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LOCATION : WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT, FLORIDA
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DESIGN STARTED : 1987
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DESIGN COMPLETED : 1990
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AREA : 2- MILLION SQ. FEET
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STRUCTURE : REINFORCED CONCRETE & STEEL
SUPERSTRUCTURE
MATERIAL : EXTERIOR INSULATION & FINISH SYSTEM WITH
PAINTED MURALS.
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
THE 1,500 ROOM WALT
DISNEY WORLD RESORT
DOLPHIN FACES ITS
COMPOSITION
PROJECT,THE 758-ROOM
WALT DISNEY WORLD
RESORT SWAN HOTEL,
ACROSS A LARGE
CRESCENT SHAPED
ARTIFICIAL LAKE.
BOTH HOTELS CONTAIN
EXTENSIVE
CONVENTION
FACILITIES,
RESTAURANTS, AND
RETAIL SHOPS.
SITE PLAN
PLAN OF DOLPHIN HOTEL
PLAN OF SWAN HOTEL
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THE COLORS AND DECORATION OF
THE TWO HOTELS SUGGEST THE
CHARACTER OF FLORIDA RESORTS
AND PROVIDE A THEMATIC
CONTEXT CONSISTENT WITH
DISNEY’S PROGRAM FOR
“ENTERTAINMENT
ARCHITECTURE”
GIGANTIC STATUES OF DOLPHINS
AND SWANS MARK THE ENDS OF
THE HOTEL ROOFS, MAKING THE
HOTELS VISIBLE AND
RECOGNIZABLE FROM A GREAT
DISTANCE.
WITHIN THE BOTH HOTELS, THE
LOBBIES, BALLROOMS,
GUESTROOM CORRIDORS,
RESTAURANTS, AND THE OTHER
AREAS EXPERIENCED BY HOTEL
VISITORS ARE EMBELLISHED BT A
WIDE VARIETY OF PATTERNED
MATERIALS AND CUSTOMDESIGNED LIGHT FIXTURES AND
FURNITURE,DELIGHTING THE
VISITOR WITH THE UNEXPETED.
DOLPHIN HOTEL
FACADE
DENVER CENTRAL LIBRARY

LOCATION : DENVER, COLORADO
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DESIGN STARTED : 1990
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DESIGN COMPLETED :1996
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TOTAL FLOOR AREA : 133,000 SQ. FEET
(RENOVATION) & 405,000 SQ. FEET (NEW
CONSTRUCTION)
STRUCTURE : STRUCTURAL CONCRETE WAFFLE
SLABS ON CONCRETE COLUMNS
MATERIAL: CAST STONE, NATURAL STONE,TIMBER &
COPPER ROOFING
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IN1990, GRAVES WON A DESIGN COMPETITION FOR THE
RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF DENVER’S LANDMARK
LIBRARY BUILDING WHICH WAS DESIGNED IN 1956 BY THE
ARCHITECT BURNHAM HOYT.
THE LIBRARY IS SITED ON CIVIC CENTER PARK BETWEEN
THE CITY’S ART &MUSEUM.
THE EXPANSION, MUCH GREATER IN SIZE THAN THE
ORIGINAL BUILDING, BECOMES BACKDROP TO HYOT’S
COMPOSITION AND COMPLETES THE LIBRARY BLOCK SOUTH
TO THIRTEENTH AVENUE,
SITE & GROUND FLOOR PLAN
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THE SCALE AND COLORATION OF
THE ADDITION, AS WELL AS THE
INDIVIDUALIZED MASSING OF ITS
VARIOUS COMPONENTS, ALLOW
THE ORIGINAL LIBRARY TO
MAINTAIN ITS OWN IDENTITY AS
ONE ELEMENT OF LARGER
COMPOSITION.
TWO MAJOR PUBLIC ENTRANCES
ESTABLISH AN EAST-WEST AXIS
THROUGH THE GREAT HALL, A
THREE STORY PUBLIC ROOM OF
URBAN SCALE WHICH IS THE
FOCAL POINT FOR VISITOR
ORIENTATION AND CIRCULATION.
THE SOUTH-FACING ROTUNDA
CONTAINS SPECIAL SUCH AS THE
REFERENCE ROOM, THE
PERIODICALS CENTER AND, ON
THE TOP FLOOR, THE WESTERN
HISTORY READING ROOM.
WEST ENTRY LOOKING
TOWARDS THE GREAT
HALL
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THE LATTER ROOM, WHICH CONTAINS SPECIAL FUNCTIONS
OF LOCAL MATERIALS, IS CENTERED ON A TIMBER DERRICK
LIKE STRUCTURE THAT FIGURATIVELY RECALLS THE
NATION’S WESTWARD EXPANSION.
WESTERN HISTORY READING ROOM
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