John Diebboll *82

John Diebboll, a prominent architect who had a second career as an artist, died Nov. 23, 2010, of brain cancer. He was 54.

Diebboll graduated from Bennington College in 1978, after studying ceramics, painting, and architecture. He then worked as a designer with the architectural firm of Conklin & Rossant. Diebboll earned a master’s in architecture from Princeton in 1982.

In 1984, he joined Michael Graves & Associates, where he was a principal designer and directed its New York office for 17 years. Working on dozens of projects, he helped Graves, his former Princeton professor, design schools, libraries, hotels, and residences.

In 1997, Diebboll was asked to design a 21st-century piano for a college course. This evolved into his producing hundreds of imaginative drawings, such as a grand piano modeled on the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. These designs were never built, but the drawings were exhibited in galleries and museums and published in The Art of the Piano (2000).

In 2007, Diebboll founded Diebboll Architects and recently worked on the New South Ocean Development, a billion-dollar resort in the Bahamas.

Diebboll is survived by his wife, Pamela; a son; and his parents.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.