By Courtesy of the
The Washington Post

Designer Doug Michels, At 59 Doug Michels, 59, who operated an art and design studio in Washington from 1986 to 1999 and was a designer of such public art pieces as "Cadillac Ranch" in Texas, died June 12.

He died while climbing to a whale observation point near Eden, Australia, where he was working as a movie consultant. Mr. Michels moved to Houston from Washington in 1999. The Houston Chronicle reported that determination of the cause of death is pending completion of an autopsy. His best-known work was "Cadillac Ranch" (1974), a structure of 10 Cadillacs buried nose down and tail fins up near Amarillo. While many interpreted the work to be about the downfall of American industry, Mr. Michels said that he meant it to be a funny simulation of diving dolphins.

In Washington, he tried unsuccessfully to create what he called the National Sofa, a landscape design project at Lafayette Square across from the White House. He envisioned a curved, marble seating area and a massive television screen that would pop up out of the ground and show presidential bill-signing ceremonies and other events. "The sofa is sort of an American icon -- a disarming, friendly social setting," Mr. Michels told The Washington Post. "You wouldn't be forced to ask serious questions as [at] a town meeting. Americans aren't that serious all the time. They like to sit on the sofa and hang out."

He was born in Seattle and attended Catholic University and Oxford University in England. He was a 1967 architecture graduate of Yale University and did graduate work in architecture at Harvard University. He worked predominantly in San Francisco at a studio he co-founded called the Ant Farm. He also worked as a senior designer for architect Philip Johnson from 1979 to 1982. His marriage to Carol Michels ended in divorce.

Survivors include his parents, retired Air Force Col. Robert Michels and Caroline Michels of Alexandria; and two sisters, Carolynn Moritz of Big Fork, Mont., and Annie Clark of Alexandria.

© 2003 The Washington Post Company