Frank Gehry, the globally celebrated architect whose groundbreaking designs redefined modern architecture, has died at the age of 96. Gehry, known for his sculptural, often titanium-clad buildings, passed away on April 1, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and a profound impact on cityscapes worldwide.
Born in Toronto in 1929, Gehry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and studied architecture at the University of Southern California, later completing his education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1956 and 1957. He established his own firm and quickly distinguished himself by rejecting traditional architectural norms, embracing unconventional geometric shapes and unfinished materials – a style that became known as deconstructivism.
Gehry’s designs frequently blended unexpected materials, often sheathing buildings in stainless steel to create striking, curvy exteriors.He pioneered the use of 3D modelling, employing techniques similar to those used by aerospace engineers, despite the complexity and cost associated with their construction.
His international breakthrough came with the 1997 opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. Crafted from titanium sheets,limestone,and glass,the museum was immediately hailed as a modern marvel and is credited with revitalizing the city’s economy and tourism – a phenomenon dubbed the “Bilbao effect.” Architect Philip Johnson described the structure as “the greatest building of our time.”
In 1989, Gehry received the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the industry’s highest honor, for his lifetime achievement. the Pritzker jury lauded his work as possessing a “highly refined, elegant and adventurous aesthetic,” and likened his designs to Jazz, noting their “improvisation and a lively unpredictable spirit.”
Gehry’s influence extended beyond landmark buildings. His work was even parodied in a 2005 episode of The Simpsons, where he voiced himself designing a concert hall inspired by a crumpled piece of paper – a joke that, he later revealed, led some to mistakenly beleive his real-life designs originated from similar inspiration.He clarified in a 2011 interview with The Observer that his designs were, in fact, the result of complex computations.
