YAMASAKI, MINORU

born Dec. 1, 1912, Seattle, Wash., U.S. died Feb. 6, 1986, Detroit, Mich. American architect whose buildings, notable for their appeal to the senses, departed from the austerity often associated with post-World War II modern architecture. Following his graduation from the University of Washington, Seattle, Yamasaki went in 1934 to New York City, where he held a number of design positions and from 1943 to 1945 was an instructor in architectural design at Columbia University. In 1945 he moved to Detroit, becoming chief designer for the large architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls; one of his projects was a modern addition for the Neoclassic Federal Reserve Bank. He resigned in 1949 to become a partner with George Hellmuth and Joseph Leinweber. He designed the Lambert-St. Louis Municipal Airport terminal, notable for its impressive use of concrete vaults and a strong influence on subsequent American air-terminal design. In 1955, the year in which Hellmuth left the partnership, Yamasaki was commissioned to design the American consulate in Kobe, Japan. The McGregor Memorial Conference Community Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, completed in 1958, is a widely admired example of his interior and exterior design used to convey serenity and delight. Another outstanding structure, the Reynolds Metals Company Building, also in Detroit, made use of skylights, plants, and pools. His design of the U.S. science pavilion for the Seattle World's Fair of 1962 was impressive, but some critics found its use of tall Gothic arches lacking in architectural logic. Similar criticisms were aroused by his unconventional design for North Shore Congregation Israel (1964), a Jewish temple in Glencoe, Ill. Yamasaki's World Trade Center (1972) in New York City, one of the world's tallest structures, is notable for its twin 110-story towers and for its 5-acre (2-hectare) plaza. He is the author of A Life in Architecture (1979).