Kevin Roche, Modernist Architect, Dies at 96
American architect Kevin Roche passed away on March 1, 2019 at his home in Guilford, Connecticut. His firm, Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, announced his passing. His career, which lasted over six decades, spanned more than 200 completed projects all over the world. Roche will be remembered for revitalizing corporate design and establishing cultural centers in the latter half of the 20th century.
Roche was instrumental in the formation of modern corporate offices and museums, in New York City and elsewhere. He was known for designing the Ford Foundation Headquarters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the Central Park Zoo. He also designed Santander’s Madrid headquarters. Roche’s firm landed its first project, the Oakland Museum, by winning a competition. Revolutionary at the time, the Museum’s green roof brought attention to Roche as a significant designer.
Eero Saarinen influenced Roche as his mentor. He hired Roche in 1950, and together they worked on projects such as the TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the CBS Building, Dulles International Airport, and Yale University’s Ingalls Skating Rink. Saarinen’s passing led to Roche joining forces with John Dinkeloo. Together, they completed a number of Saarinen’s projects.
In 1982, Roche won the Pritzker Architecture Prize. In 1993, he received the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects, the institution’s highest honor.
