Graham de Condé Gund, a prominent architect and art collector, passed away on June 6 at the age of 84 due to a heart attack at his home in Cambridge.
Mr. Gund, known for his significant contributions to the architecture of Greater Boston and his philanthropic efforts, left behind a sweeping visual and cultural legacy particularly at his alma mater, Kenyon College, where he designed nearly 20 buildings.
In the introductory essay for the catalog of the 1982 MFA exhibit ‘A Private Vision: Contemporary Art from the Graham Gund Collection,’ he reflected on his dual passions: “My role as a collector is directly linked to my work as an architect, which is integrally involved with the artistic notions of our time.”
Matthew Teitelbaum, the Ann and Graham Gund director of the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), noted Mr. Gund’s importance to the museum, emphasizing his belief in the role of public art institutions.
“He was about light, scale, material, movement, entrance and exit, and the feeling you get when you are embraced in a building,” Teitelbaum said, highlighting the depth of Mr. Gund’s approach to architecture.
Mr. Gund’s legacy at the MFA extended beyond his designs, as he and his wife, Ann, both served as honorary trustees and endowed the director’s position alongside the Ann and Graham Gund Gallery.
Having joined the museum’s board in 1973, he became the longest-serving trustee and played a crucial role in shaping the visual experiences of museum patrons through his board work and artistic donations.
His architectural achievements contributed notably to Boston’s skyline, with notable projects such as the Hyatt Regency hotel along the Cambridge side of the Charles River and the 31-story 75 State Street office tower, which is adorned with gold leaf-framed windows.
Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger praised the seamless integration of Gund’s large-scale projects into Boston’s historic layout, stating, “It fits neatly, even gracefully, into the complicated web of little streets…”
Mr. Gund was known for his sensitivity to his surroundings and the existing history of the buildings he worked with. Goldberger commented on his commitment to the locations of his designs, noting, “His starting point was not just a shape in his head.”
Describing Gund’s architectural philosophy, he added, “It was what can we learn from this place that can inspire architecture? What can we learn from what’s already in this place?”
As the founder of Gund Partnership, established over 50 years ago, Mr. Gund led various projects across the United States, including notable developments in New England, the Midwest, and Disney’s properties in Florida and California.
Locally, he was deeply involved with several institutions, including the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Society of Architects, and the Boston Foundation for Architecture, which he co-founded.
Mr. Gund’s involvement extended to national institutions as well, serving as a trustee for the National Committee on Design, the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects, the National Building Museum, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In a 2004 interview, Mr. Gund expressed his fondness for Boston, calling it his favorite city due to its neighborhood sense and scale.
His passion for architecture was evident, as he stated in a 1980 Christian Science Monitor interview, “I’d like to live in ’em all. I think part of being an architect is getting involved in the whole fantasy of recreating your own existence through environmental means.”
Gund’s journey began in Cleveland on October 28, 1940, born to one of the nation’s wealthiest families; his father, George Gund II, built a fortune in banking and real estate. Young Graham worked in his father’s bank as a bookkeeper and teller, humorously stating, “I kept wishing there would be a robbery or something to liven things up.”
Tragedy struck early in Mr. Gund’s life when his mother, Jessica Roesler Gund, died when he was just 12 years old.
He was sent to a boarding school, where he faced the loss of a roommate to cancer.
Mr. Gund, reflecting on his formative years, remarked, “Very early on, when faced with any difficulty, I looked for ways to organize and transform everything, from my room to the surrounding landscape.”
He graduated from Westminster School in Connecticut before pursuing a degree at Kenyon College, where he studied psychology. To prepare for his career in architecture, he took art courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a master’s degree in architecture and a master’s in urban design from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Before founding his firm, Mr. Gund worked for The Architects Collaborative, a prestigious firm in Cambridge, where he was mentored by Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus school.
His wealth allowed him to not only amass a remarkable art collection but also take on projects focused on both new developments and rehabilitations of historical buildings.
Records indicate that Gund’s residential life remained humble; he met his wife, Ann Swain Landreth, in 1984 when she worked in public relations for architects and museums.
At that time, he lived in a garage apartment filled with art. Ann described him as meticulous and steady.
“He’s so meticulous with his architecture, as he is with friends,” she commented, noting that he waited seven years to ask her to dinner.
Mr. Gund is survived by his wife Ann and their son, Graydon, as well as his two sisters, Agnes and Louise, and two brothers, Gordon and Geoffrey.
A celebration of Mr. Gund’s life will be organized, honoring his profound impact on architecture, art, and the communities he touched.
Friend and philanthropist David Rockefeller poignantly reflected on Mr. Gund’s dedication, stating, “He was so driven to pursue his craft, which financially he certainly didn’t have to do, and that shows how much faithfulness he had to his craft and to the importance of work.”
Mr. Gund’s life was a testament to his commitment to architecture and public service, leaving a lasting mark on both the physical landscape and the cultural tapestry of the regions he influenced.
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