Cooper Hewitt says...
Carlos Diniz (American, 1928 – 2001) was one of the foremost architectural delineators of the 20th century. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Diniz was the son of Alcaro Diniz, an Attache of the Brazilian Consulate, and Elizabeth Merchant. Diniz was raised by his mother in Beverly Hills, California. As a high school student, Diniz excelled at producing models and miniatures. In 1946, Diniz enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Italy, where he began sketching the country’s architecture. Diniz enrolled at Art Center College of Design after his discharge, and graduated in 1950 with a degree in Specialized Design. Though he had set out to study automotive design, he discovered a passion for architecture. For the next several years, Diniz worked at various architecture firms before being hired, in 1952, by Austrian architect Victor Gruen. After five years at Gruen, during which time he worked on the master plan for the city of Fort Worth, Texas, Diniz decided to set out on his own. He founded Carlos Diniz Associates Visual Communications in 1957, with a focus on architectural presentation. The firm specialized in providing a range of services to architects, from illustrations and renderings to logos, brochures and other marketing tools. Over the next several decades, the firm worked on extensive projects with architects including Gruen, Welton Becket, Cesar Pelli, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Minoru Yamasaki and many others. Among his most notable commissions are the World Trade Center with Yamasaki (1962-68), South Street Seaport with Benjamin Thompson (1980), the Chicago Central Area Plan with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (1983), Pacific Design Center with Cesar Pelli (1985), and Canary Wharf with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (1984).
