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Gyo Obata | |
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 Obata in 2005 | |
| Born | (1923-02-28)February 28, 1923 |
| Died | March 8, 2022(2022-03-08) (aged 99) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Architect |
Gyo Obata (小圃 暁, February 28, 1923 – March 8, 2022) was an American architect, the son of painterChiura Obata and his wife, Haruko Obata, a floral designer. In 1955, he co-founded the global architectural firmHOK (formerly Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum). He lived inSt. Louis, Missouri, and worked in HOK's St. Louis office. He designed several notable buildings, including the McDonnell Planetarium and GROW Pavilion at theSaint Louis Science Center, theIndependence Temple of theCommunity of Christ church, theNational Air and Space Museum inWashington, D.C., and theAbraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.
Obata was born and raised inSan Francisco. Due to his family's Japanese heritage, he was nearlyincarcerated with other Japanese-Americans duringWorld War II. Though his family was sent to a concentration camp, he avoided it by leaving the School of Architecture at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, to study architecture at theSchool of Architecture atWashington University in St. Louis, the only university in the United States willing to accept Japanese nationals at that time. He earned his bachelor of architecture degree there in 1945.
He then studied under master Finnish architectEliel Saarinen at theCranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills,Michigan, receiving his master's degree in architecture and urban design in 1946.
After serving in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1947 and working as an architect in theChicago office ofSkidmore, Owings and Merrill from 1947 to 1951, Obata returned toSt. Louis in 1951 to join the firm ofMinoru Yamasaki (who would later design the World Trade Center towers), anotherNisei architect. Four years later, in 1955, he joined architects George Hellmuth and George Kassabaum in establishing the St. Louis-based architecture firmHellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum.
Due in part to Obata's prowess and growing reputation, the firm achieved global renown, and Obata himself has won numerous awards for his designs. Today,HOK has more than 1,800 employees in 23 offices worldwide.
In 2010, Obata was featured in a book written by Marlene Ann Birkman and published by The Images Publishing Group titled,Gyo Obata: Architect | Clients | Reflections.[6] The book features 30 of Obata's projects (and clients) spanning five decades.
Obata's design philosophy is "to provide spaces which are not only functional, but also enhance the quality of life for those who work and live in them."[7] InGyo Obata: Architect | Clients | Reflections, he says that, "The language that architects use to define space is daylight. Each project offers new potential for discovery, for understanding the site and program, and an opportunity to do a thoughtfully designed building that will bring meaning and enjoyment to the people who will occupy it."[6]
Obata died inSt. Louis, Missouri, on March 8, 2022, at the age of 99.[8]
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Obata's national and international projects include:
St. Louis projects include:
Other projects include:
