# Humana Building > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Humana_Building > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Humana_Building.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humana_Building > Source revision: 1340518529 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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''',{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Louisville | edition=1 | year=2001 | article=Humana Tower}} is a 1985 [skyscraper](/source/skyscraper) in downtown [Louisville, Kentucky](/source/Louisville%2C_Kentucky), located at 500 West Main Street and headquarters of the [Humana](/source/Humana) Corporation. It was built by [the Auchter Company](/source/the_Auchter_Company).{{cite news | first = Mike | last = Sharkey | title = Dave Auchter named to DDA | newspaper = [Jacksonville Daily Record](/source/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/ }} ==Description== The 26-story structure is headquarters of the [Humana](/source/Humana) Corporation, and was designed by the [Driehaus Prize](/source/Driehaus_Prize) winner and [New Classical](/source/New_Classical_architecture) architect [Michael Graves](/source/Michael_Graves).{{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}} Construction began in October 1982 and was completed in May 1985.{{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}} 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](/source/pink_granite). The north facade's [loggia](/source/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](/source/Ohio_River) and Main Street. The observation deck has not been open to the public since the [September 11 terrorist attacks](/source/September_11_terrorist_attacks).{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.behance.net/gallery/25438205/Humana-Building|title=Behance|website=www.behance.net}}{{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}} At the site of the Humana Building previously stood the six-story [Kenyon Building](/source/Kenyon_Building), which was the first skyscraper in Louisville. Completed in 1886, that building was razed in 1974.{{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}} 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.{{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}} On February 3, 2026, after the building was sold, Louisville mayor [Craig Greenberg](/source/Craig_Greenberg) announced that the building would be turned into a 1,000-room convention center hotel. ==Awards== The [American Institute of Architects](/source/American_Institute_of_Architects) awarded the Humana Building the National Honor Award in 1987.{{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 }} ''[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))'' magazine listed it as one of the ten best buildings of the 1980s.{{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](/source/The_Courier-Journal) |date=November 9, 2006 |accessdate=January 15, 2007}} ==See also== * [List of tallest buildings in Louisville](/source/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Louisville) == 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] {{Louisville skyscrapers |state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}} {{Coord|38|15|23.35|N|85|45|31.28|W|type:landmark|display=title}} 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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Humana Building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humana_Building) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humana_Building?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.