In architectural circles Michael Graves, who died in Princeton, New Jersey, in March, is identified as a postmodernist. To a wider audience, he is probably best known for the iconic birdwhistle kettle he designed for Alessi. For the Harvardeducated, Princeton-based architect, artist, teacher, lecturer and designer of furniture, fabrics and objects, there were no boundaries.
The New York Times called Graves “the most original voice in American architecture”, Alberto Alessi hailed him as a design “maestro” and “hero” (the kettle sold more than two million pieces), and US Presidents Clinton and Obama both honoured him for his humanistic design.
Graves was emeritus professor at Princeton University, where he taught for 39 years. As a teacher he was passionate about drawing (“Don’t talk it through. Draw it,” he’d say). His own…
