Frank Gehry, the visionary American-Canadian architect who revolutionized modern architecture with his bold, sculptural designs, died Friday, December 5, at the age of 96. Known for iconic structures such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Gehry was one of the few architects to achieve superstar status in his field.
Gehry's landmark works demonstrate his audacity and artistic genius, which have significantly influenced and even revolutionized architectural history. Through his projects, he blurred the boundaries between architecture and art, shaking up the world of contemporary architecture while popularizing the profession to mainstream audiences.
Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto on February 28, 1929, to a Jewish family, he moved to the United States in the late 1940s. He pursued architecture studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, graduating in 1954. Around the same time, he changed his name to Gehry to protect himself from antisemitism. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army while studying urban planning at Harvard University.
Gehry's career began in the offices of architect Victor Gruen, the inventor of shopping malls in Los Angeles, followed by a stint in Paris working for André Remondet. Returning to California, he opened his own firm in the early 1960s. The 1970s and 1980s marked the beginning of a long series of bold and innovative architectural achievements for Gehry.
Closely aligned with the California avant-garde movement, Gehry invented new principles of architectural expression and explored computer modeling techniques that would occupy a significant place in his work. The most famous work from this period is arguably his own house in Santa Monica, California. His residence perfectly embodies Gehry's creativity, where materials are diverted from their traditional uses and elevated to new artistic heights, such as wire mesh fencing prominently displayed on the house's roof.
In 1989, Gehry received architecture's highest honor, the Pritzker Prize. Three years before the end of the century, the revolutionary Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was inaugurated in Spain, bringing him worldwide acclaim. The undulating, fish-like structure, which became Gehry's signature style, is constructed from limestone, glass, and curved titanium panels that reflect light and showcase his avant-garde approach. Fellow American architect Philip Johnson called it "the most important building of our time."
This monument breathed new life into the crisis-stricken Spanish city, attracting tourists from around the world. The building's impact was so significant that the term "Bilbao Effect" now describes architectural works that contribute to urban revitalization. Following this success, Gehry continued with increasingly spectacular and audacious projects: the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2003), the 8 Spruce Street skyscraper in New York (2011), and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (2014).
In 2018, he completed construction of Facebook's new headquarters in Silicon Valley, and between 2014 and 2021, he finished the Luma Arles project in southern France. The Luma tower is located in the Parc des Ateliers in Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône region.
Gehry's designs are of unprecedented complexity, made possible by massive use of computer calculations and digital modeling. For a long time, rounded forms, curves, ellipses, and circles were considered heretical in architecture, accused of breaking harmony, increasing construction costs, and posing endless problems for engineers.
Frank Gehry utilized the flexibility of digital simulation to challenge classical building references such as facades and roofing. He perhaps reached the limits of his approach with the Lou Ruvo Clinic (2010) in Cleveland, where facades and windows appear to collapse into multiple convolutions. This project, designed for a clinic specializing in neurodegenerative diseases, exemplifies the humor that was very present throughout his work, demonstrating his ability to find creative expression even in the most serious architectural challenges.
