Michael Graves' To-Do List for San Juan Capistrano

Gathering for his lecture in the LaSalle meeting room at the San Juan Capistrano Library, architect Michael Graves begged the audience: “Don’t look up.”

“Those are not my lights. I’m not coming back until they’re gone,” Graves said to laughs. But he was serious. “Those are the cheapest little bastards I ever saw.”

For the most part, Graves was pleased to see his creation – one of the earlier projects in his storied career that includes hotels and government buildings all over the world as well as a whole line of consumer goods – in “pristine” condition.

“It looks like it was finished yesterday,” he said. “It’s so well kept.”

Graves did have a number of small criticisms, though. He was deeply disappointed that four trees were removed from the courtyard.

“Those should have been monsters by now,” he said.

Also, the pergolas should have been covered with bougainvillea, Graves said. In all, the vegetation was a little lacking.

“All these pergolas were meant to be full of bougainvillea. To see them empty is a little bit of a shock, both in the front and the back. They were really part of the design,” he said.

See more coverage of Michael Graves Day in San Juan Capistrano:

• Architect Michael Graves Returns to his 'Precious' San Juan Library
• Architect Michael Graves Doesn't See Hitler in his Teapot
  
  

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