Renowned architect Frank Gehry passes away at 96

Frank Gehry, the Canadian-born American architect celebrated for his daring and imaginative structures ranging from the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, passed away on Friday at the age of 96. Renowned as one of the foremost figures among the elite group of "starchitects," Gehry was widely admired for his creativity but famously disliked the label.

"Some architects create buildings that work technically and financially, others do not. Thats it," he said in a 2009 interview with The Independent.

Gehrys distinctive style, evident in works like the glass sails of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, helped popularize contemporary architecture worldwide. He even made appearances on popular culture platforms such as The Simpsons, while maintaining that he was simply a builder of buildings. "I collaborate with clients who appreciate the art of architecture," he noted in 2014, according to biographer Paul Goldberger.

His representative, Meaghan Lloyd, confirmed to AFP that Gehry passed away at his Santa Monica home following a brief respiratory illness.

Early Life and Career

Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto on February 28, 1929, Gehrys family moved to the United States in the late 1940s. He later adopted the surname Gehry to avoid anti-Semitism. He studied architecture at the University of Southern California, graduating in 1954, served in the U.S. Army, and pursued further studies in city planning at Harvard University, which he did not complete. Gehry then returned to Los Angeles to begin his career with shopping mall pioneer Victor Gruen.

In 1961, he spent time working in Paris with Andrew Remondet before returning to Los Angeles to establish his own practice in 1962.

Innovative Style and Rise to Fame

The 1970s and 1980s saw Gehry create some of his most audacious works, often influenced by Californias avant-garde funk art scene. His deconstructivist approach, characterized by irregular metal facades and shapes resembling crumpled paper, often required advanced computer design tools. His 1978 remodeling of his Santa Monica home, featuring corrugated metal over a 1920s structure, exemplified his experimental approach and ad-hoc spirit.

In 1989, Gehry received architectures highest honor, the Pritzker Prize, cementing his status in the field.

The Bilbao Breakthrough

Gehrys international acclaim soared with the 1997 completion of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. The titanium-clad, undulating building was hailed by architect Philip Johnson as the greatest building of our time. Its success revitalized the industrial city and inspired the term Bilbao effect, describing how striking architecture can transform urban areas.

Following Bilbao, Gehry continued to push architectural boundaries with projects including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2003), the Beekman Tower in New York (2011), and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (2014). He also designed a major expansion for Facebooks Menlo Park campus, completed in 2018.

Legacy of Innovation

Gehry embraced complex computations and 3D modeling to realize curved and unconventional forms that many architects avoided due to cost and engineering challenges. His Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, with walls and windows appearing to melt under the desert sun, exemplifies his groundbreaking vision. "I love working. I love working things out," Gehry told The Guardian in 2019.

Author: Jackson Miller