Frank Gehry, one of the most influential architects of the last century, has died aged 96. Gehry was acclaimed for his avant garde, experimental style of architecture. His titanium-covered design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, catapulted him to fame in 1997.
His breakthrough in the architectural world came years earlier when he redesigned his own home in Santa Monica, California, using materials like chain-link fencing, plywood, and corrugated steel.
His death was confirmed by his chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd. He is survived by two daughters from his first marriage, Leslie and Brina, as well as his wife, Berta Isabel Aguilera, and their two sons, Alejandro and Samuel.
Born in Toronto in 1929, Gehry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to study architecture at the University of Southern California, before completing further study at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1956 and 1957. After starting his own firm, he broke from traditional architectural principles of symmetry, using unconventional geometric shapes and unfinished materials in a style now known as deconstructivism. Through blending unexpected materials, Gehry created buildings that took on arresting sculptural shapes.
In 1989, at the age of 60, Gehry was awarded the industry's top accolade, the Pritzker Architecture prize, for lifetime achievement. The Pritzker jury stated that his work possessed a highly refined, sophisticated and adventurous aesthetic. Gehry's international breakthrough with the Guggenheim transformed the city of Bilbao, boosting tourism and the local economy.
His work in Bilbao put him in high demand, leading him to design iconic structures in cities around the world. The cultural phenomenon was parodied in a 2005 episode of The Simpsons, where Gehry voiced himself. Tributes are pouring in, celebrating his eagerness to discard convention and forge his own creative legacy. Gehry's unmistakable vision lives on through iconic buildings across the globe.
His breakthrough in the architectural world came years earlier when he redesigned his own home in Santa Monica, California, using materials like chain-link fencing, plywood, and corrugated steel.
His death was confirmed by his chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd. He is survived by two daughters from his first marriage, Leslie and Brina, as well as his wife, Berta Isabel Aguilera, and their two sons, Alejandro and Samuel.
Born in Toronto in 1929, Gehry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to study architecture at the University of Southern California, before completing further study at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1956 and 1957. After starting his own firm, he broke from traditional architectural principles of symmetry, using unconventional geometric shapes and unfinished materials in a style now known as deconstructivism. Through blending unexpected materials, Gehry created buildings that took on arresting sculptural shapes.
In 1989, at the age of 60, Gehry was awarded the industry's top accolade, the Pritzker Architecture prize, for lifetime achievement. The Pritzker jury stated that his work possessed a highly refined, sophisticated and adventurous aesthetic. Gehry's international breakthrough with the Guggenheim transformed the city of Bilbao, boosting tourism and the local economy.
His work in Bilbao put him in high demand, leading him to design iconic structures in cities around the world. The cultural phenomenon was parodied in a 2005 episode of The Simpsons, where Gehry voiced himself. Tributes are pouring in, celebrating his eagerness to discard convention and forge his own creative legacy. Gehry's unmistakable vision lives on through iconic buildings across the globe.
