John Graham Dies; Designer Of Northgate, Space Needle

John Graham, leading Seattle architect whose firm designed a host of Seattle landmarks including the Space Needle, major downtown buildings and Northgate, the nation's first planned regional shopping center, died last night at the age of 82.

Mr. Graham was ``the father of Seattle's architects,'' said developer Martin Selig. ``A fine, fine man; I had a tremendous amount of respect for him.''

Mr. Graham's impact on the Seattle skyline was immense. In addition to creating the Space Needle for the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, his firm designed the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, the Bank of California Building, the Sheraton Hotel and the 520 Pike Building.

The 1950 opening of Northgate marked Mr. Graham's emergence as a pioneer in the concept of mall-type shopping centers in which pedestrians could walk from shop to shop isolated from traffic, noise and dirt.

His firm designed such centers around the world, including Southcenter, Lloyds Center in Portland and the Ala Moana center in Honolulu.

Fred Bassetti, the local architect who was a partner with Mr. Graham on the Federal Building project, called him ``a tough customer . . . a highly competent architect.''

Mr. Graham was born in Seattle in 1908. He attended the University of Washington and Yale University, where he received a bachelor's degree in fine arts and architecture in 1931.

He entered his father's architectural firm in 1945.

Graham retired in 1985 but remained with the firm as a consultant.

James Douglas, who developed Northgate and other projects with Graham, said, ``There was only one problem working with him. Everyone who worked with him felt insignificant alongside him. He was an absolute genius.''

Mr. Graham is survived by his beloved Lois and his three children, Jane Sutherland of Mercer Island, Barbara Ann Graham of Santa Rosa, Calif., and John Thomas Graham of Seattle.

He was active in Seattle Symphony and Opera organizations and was a member of the University Club, the Rainier Club, the Seattle Yacht Club, Washington Athletic Club and the Bellevue Athletic Club, which his firm designed.

Mr. Graham was known as an avid and skilled yachtsman.

``As a sailor he was as good as we've had in the Northwest,'' said Henry Kotkins, former Seattle Port Commissioner, who once sailed with Mr. Graham from New York to Bermuda through a hurricane with 140-knot winds.