Humana Building
Louisville, Kentucky
Opened 1985
27 stories
Designed by Michael Graves



Expensive granites and gold trim were used in the construction


http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/wholeangle.jpg



Unlike most buildings the back is completely different from the front

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/distantrear.jpg



The front facade was designed to blend seamlessly with the adjacent historical buildings

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/basefrontangle.jpg



Even though the building is only 400 ft. in height, it still commands a towering presence from the street.

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/up.jpg



The entry is surrounded by cascading water walls.

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/entrloggia.jpg

5.5/10 ! :)

7.5/10

I like the materials used in the facade and the base. Overall the building looks too angular though.

4.5/10
I came back from Louisville, and this is one of my least favorite buildings.

5/10

wow! I love most granite cladded buildings. This is an 8/10 for me :)

This building is in all books on contemporary architecture for being considered one of the first true postmodernistic designs. The competition for it was fierce. It had Norman Foster, Helmut Jahn, Cesar Pelli and offcourse, Michael Graves in there, most of them still relatively young and on the edge of becoming world famous. In fact, Jahn hair was still long at the time. So if you think this building is just plain kitsch, keep in mind it's one of the very first kitsch towers in the world and in that way, ahead of time.

For me? 7.5/10, just for being true, genuine and proper kitsch.

i like how the base fits in with its neighbors. i find the top tacky though

Before this building was built, most skylines were being overtaken by bland and boxy monolithic structures from the '60's and 70's. For the first time in decades, there was a tower that actually used texture, form, and COLOR to make a statement. No more of the cold glass, steel, and concrete. It was actually a bold concept at the time and makes the Humana building one of the most important skyscrapers of the '80s. Never mind the fact that people said it looked like a cash register from the front or a milk carton from the side. But hey, thats art.

8/10

7/10

it looks ok

Normally I would give it a 7.5, but I bumped it up to an 8.5 because of the architect.

7.5/10 i think it is special

I love it. 8.5/10

i love it. it whips some ass! 10

Haha indeed,this tower looks grand! 8.5/10

love the glass. Color is nice. 7.5/10

looks so tacky 5 out of 10

sorry but I don´t like anything of its design 3/10

7.5/10

I love it and the way it fits in with its surroundings at ground level. 9-10 :)

I think it is ugly. 4.5/10

9/10

Some love it, some hate it...but that is what I like about it....it stands out so much that people discuss the building, and that's important. Good addition to Louisville of the 80's.

8/10

9/10

A total shocker at first. I used to find it HIDEOUS, but it has grown on me so much and is such an important part of Louisville's downtown.
9/10

Not to mention there are some REALLY cool ancient Roman statues on display in the lobby. ;)

9/10. Great building.

I loathe this building. Everything about it to me is aweful! The only thing I like is the mid-rise section at street level.

6/10

5.5/10

7/10 ;)

im really reviving a dead one here, but Ive just been reading a book which shows all the competitors entries for this competition. If you think this building was 5-10 years ahead of its time, then the Foster entry was 25 years ahead of its time.

It is essentially a cylindrical building with diamond cross bracing virtually the same as that of the Swiss Re building in London. The cylinder is supported by two white towers of different heights the tallest supporting a massive spike. generally similar to the shape of the Commerzbank building in Frankfurt.

Anyway, I think that the winner at least tries to work with the historic pattern of the street

6, It looks cool.

7.5/10

7/10

8.5

8/10

7.5/10

6/10

6/10

The building was really important to modern architecture in America. I honestly thought it may be in the top 300. 9.5/10

Fuck health insurance companies. I would've liked to give it a one. Or actually who gives a fuck! This isn't worthy of any vote. Especially since it's Humana. Burn it to the ground.

6/10

7.5/10

8/10

Looks weird, but in a good way! :D

8.5/10

7/10

8/10

8,5/10

9. Very good building. Regards.

7/10

6/10

7/10

7/10

9/10

8/10

7/10