Temple Hoyne Buell was born in 1895 to a prominent Chicago family. His grandfather was a reform mayor of Chicago, and his great-great grandfather was among the 13 pioneers who incorporated the village of Chicago in 1833. He studied architecture at the University of Illinois, then pursued graduate studies at Columbia University.
During World War I, Mr. Buell served in France, where he was exposed to phosgene gas. Diagnosed with life-threatening tuberculosis, Mr. Buell moved to Denver for treatment in 1921. He regained his health and went on to establish the largest architectural firm in the Rocky Mountain region. More than 300 Buell-designed buildings are part of Colorado’s architectural legacy, including designated landmarks such as the Paramount Theatre and Horace Mann Middle School. The Paramount Theatre is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Mr. Buell earned recognition nationally as an architectural visionary, particularly for the conceptualization of the first “central-mall” shopping center designed with the parking lots encircling the shops. He presented his concept to the Urban Land Institute in 1946 and later built the original Cherry Creek Shopping Center in accordance with his vision. This model became the prototype of today’s shopping centers.
His distinctive career and numerous achievements were recognized with the awarding of honorary doctorate degrees from Columbia University and the University of Colorado. He was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2013.
Mr. Buell died in 1990 at the age of 94.