Humana Building

{{Short description|1985 skyscraper in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located at 500 West Main Street}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} thumb|200px|Viewed from 6th and Main

The '''Humana Building''', also known as the '''Humana Tower''',<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Louisville | edition=1 | year=2001 | article=Humana Tower}}</ref> is a 1985 skyscraper in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located at 500 West Main Street and headquarters of the Humana Corporation. It was built by the Auchter Company.<ref>{{cite news | first = Mike | last = Sharkey | title = Dave Auchter named to DDA | newspaper = Jacksonville Daily Record | date = November 20, 2001 | access-date = October 25, 2025 | url = https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2001/nov/20/dave-auchter-named-dda/ }}</ref>

==Description== The 26-story structure is headquarters of the Humana Corporation, and was designed by the Driehaus Prize winner and New Classical architect Michael Graves.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://architecture.nd.edu/news-events/events/driehaus-prize/recipients/michael-graves/|title=Michael Graves // School of Architecture // University of Notre Dame|last=Dame|first=Marketing Communications: Web // University of Notre|website=School of Architecture|language=en|access-date=February 21, 2020|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814141702/https://architecture.nd.edu/news-events/events/driehaus-prize/recipients/michael-graves/|url-status=live}}</ref> Construction began in October 1982 and was completed in May 1985.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://michaelgraves.com/|title=Michael Graves|access-date=January 30, 2024|archive-date=January 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122165402/https://michaelgraves.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Each side of the building is designed slightly differently, up to a sloping pyramid style for the upper few floors. The building is also known for its exterior construction of flat pink granite. The north facade's loggia is respectful of the older downtown architecture, being flush with the original Main Street storefronts. The open-air front portion of the loggia contains a large fountain. The large, curved portion towards the top of the building is an open-air observation deck. The outermost point of the circle has space for a few people at a time to be surrounded by glass, allowing for views of the Ohio River and Main Street. The observation deck has not been open to the public since the September 11 terrorist attacks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/humana-building-6740|title=Humana Building | Architect Magazine|access-date=January 30, 2024|archive-date=October 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025100847/https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/humana-building-6740|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://homepages.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/humana.html|title=Humana Building by Michael Graves|website=homepages.bluffton.edu|access-date=January 30, 2024|archive-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610051648/https://homepages.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/humana.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/humana-building/10523|title=Humana Building – The Skyscraper Center|website=www.skyscrapercenter.com|access-date=January 30, 2024|archive-date=October 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001222438/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/humana-building/10523|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/KY-01-111-0033|title=Humana Building|date=July 17, 2018|website=SAH Archipedia|access-date=January 30, 2024|archive-date=November 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129183620/https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/KY-01-111-0033|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.behance.net/gallery/25438205/Humana-Building|title=Behance|website=www.behance.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/postmodern-architect-michael-graves/|title=Postmodern architect Michael Graves 1934–2015|date=March 15, 2015|website=www.cbsnews.com|access-date=January 30, 2024|archive-date=May 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526133541/https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/postmodern-architect-michael-graves/|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the site of the Humana Building previously stood the six-story Kenyon Building, which was the first skyscraper in Louisville. Completed in 1886, that building was razed in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |author=Wiser, Stephen A. |title=History of Louisville Architectural Firms |url=http://www.aia-ckc.org/download.php?tn=mod_downloads_1&pk=fileid&id=138 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208072024/http://www.aia-ckc.org/download.php?tn=mod_downloads_1&pk=fileid&id=138 |archivedate=February 8, 2012 |access-date=August 29, 2024}}</ref>

In February 2024, Humana announced it would vacate the building in a cost-cutting move, and that it would attempt to sell the building a year later.<ref name="Schipper-2026">{{Cite web |last=Schipper |first=Joel |date=February 3, 2026 |title=Louisville developer to build new downtown tower, convert Humana building into 'world-class' hotel |url=https://www.wdrb.com/news/louisville-developer-to-build-new-downtown-tower-convert-humana-building-into-world-class-hotel/article_0062ae62-0450-451f-a471-e1c29433745b.html |access-date=February 5, 2026 |website=WDRB |language=en}}</ref>

On February 3, 2026, after the building was sold, Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg announced that the building would be turned into a 1,000-room convention center hotel.<ref name="Schipper-2026" />

==Awards== The American Institute of Architects awarded the Humana Building the National Honor Award in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aia.org/library_honorawards_80_89 |title=AIA Honor Awards 1980 – 1989 |accessdate=January 15, 2007 |archive-date=December 25, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061225131206/http://aia.org/library_honorawards_80_89 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Time'' magazine listed it as one of the ten best buildings of the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=Howington |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=11551CDA07DB1BC0&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=2&p_product=LCJB&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=A63F55LTMTE2ODg4NDYwMi43NzY0MTI6MTo3OnJmLTE3Nzg |title=N.Y. gala honors Humana for supporting the arts |work=The Courier-Journal |date=November 9, 2006 |accessdate=January 15, 2007}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130122013722/http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&id=124427 The Humana Building]}} in Louisville * [http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/kentucky/louisville/humana/humana.html Analysis and detail pictures]

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Category:Office buildings completed in 1985 Category:Michael Graves buildings Category:Architecture in Kentucky Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Louisville, Kentucky Category:Postmodern architecture in the United States Category:New Classical architecture in the United States Category:Humana