Michael Graves was a pioneering postmodern architect and designer known locally for the Swan and Dolphin Hotel at Walt Disney World, and his iconic Kettle with Bird Whistle. He died March 12th of natural causes at his home in Princeton, New Jersey.
Graves began his career as a modernist architect and as a member of a group dubbed the New York Five which had a penchant for white, planar, open-plan structures. In the mid-1970s, however, he left the fold for a post-modernist approach that valued traditional architecture and historical allusions. His portfolio includes libraries, museums, resorts, and institutional works around the globe.
While he was celebrated for his architecture, Graves and his design firm, Michael Graves Design Group, brought more than 2,500 products—from salad bowls to chairs—to market on the behalf of clients, which included Target, Disney, and JCPenney.
In 2013 he was appointed by President Obama to the United States Access Board for his groundbreaking work in healthcare design. He even designed a wheel chair for himself, available through Stryker.
Architectural Record has an well written obituary with slide show of his notable works at this link: http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2015/03/150312-Michael-Graves-obituary.asp