Bruce Graham

Bruce John Graham (December 1, 1925 – March 6, 2010) was a Colombian‑born architect who became one of the most influential figures in twentieth‑century high‑rise design, best known for the Willis Tower and the John Hancock Center in Chicago. Born in La Cumbre, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, he was the son of a Canadian‑born international banker and a Peruvian mother, which gave him a multicultural background and fluency in Spanish that informed his global outlook. After completing secondary education in Puerto Rico, Graham studied engineering at the University of Dayton and structural engineering at Case Western Reserve before earning an architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1948. He moved to Chicago, briefly worked for Holabird & Root, and joined Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in 1951, where he would remain for four decades, shaping the skyline of multiple continents. Graham’s design philosophy blended rigorous structural engineering with artistic expression; he famously described architecture as a combination of structure and beauty, likening it to dance and music, and he often integrated public art by friends such as Alexander Calder and Joan Miró into his projects. His landmark works include the 1967 Inland Steel Building, the 1970 John Hancock Center—renowned for its tapered Bundled Tube system—and the 1973 Sears Tower (later Willis Tower), which held the title of world’s tallest building for 36 years. Beyond Chicago, Graham masterminded master plans for London’s Broadgate and Canary Wharf developments and contributed to skyscrapers in Hong Kong, Barcelona, and Guatemala, demonstrating his far‑reaching impact on urban design. A dedicated educator, he taught at Harvard and supported the SOM Foundation, while also amassing an impressive art collection. Graham died in Hobe Sound, Florida, in 2010 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, leaving a legacy celebrated by architects and city planners worldwide.