Frank Gehry, the revolutionary architect celebrated for designing some of the most imaginative and distinctive buildings ever constructed, has died at the age of 96. Gehry passed away peacefully on Friday at his home in Santa Monica, California, following a brief respiratory illness, according to Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.
Gehry achieved a level of worldwide acclaim rarely afforded to those in his field, largely due to his striking and often controversial designs that were influenced by modern pop art. His masterpieces include the serpentine Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; and Berlin’s impressive DZ Bank Building. He was even tapped to design an expansion of Facebook’s Northern California headquarters at the insistence of CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The architect maintained strong ties to Hollywood and the entertainment world throughout his career. He counted stars like Brad Pitt, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, and Dennis Hopper among his friends. Notably, Gehry also undertook design work for U2 frontman Bono. His creativity extended beyond structures, as he collaborated with Tiffany & Co. on a jewelry line launched around 2006, with pieces worn by celebrities such as Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kyra Sedgwick, Famke Janssen, and Susan Sarandon.
Upon news of his passing, actress Jamie Lee Curtis shared a photograph of Gehry on Instagram, offering a heartfelt tribute. She simply captioned the post, ‘REST IN CREATIVITY.’
Gehry was the recipient of virtually every major honor in architecture. His awards included the field’s top honor, the Pritzker Prize, given for work described as ‘refreshingly original and totally American.’ Other accolades included the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal, the Americans for the Arts lifetime achievement award, and his native country’s highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Canada.
After earning his architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 1954 and serving in the Army, Gehry pursued urban planning studies at Harvard University. His career, however, began slowly. For years, he struggled to make ends meet, taking on public housing projects, designing shopping centers, and even driving a delivery truck for a period.
He finally secured a commission to design a modern shopping mall overlooking the Santa Monica Pier. Initially, Gehry played it safe, submitting plans for a typical enclosed shopping center common in the United States in the 1980s. However, when the mall’s developer visited Gehry’s home to celebrate the completion, he was stunned. The architect had ingeniously transformed his own modest 1920s-era bungalow into an inventive abode, utilizing materials like chain-link fencing, exposed wood, and corrugated metal.
When asked why he hadn’t proposed a similar, more daring design for the mall, Gehry admitted, ‘Because I have to make a living.’ The developer’s response was a pivotal moment in Gehry’s journey: he was told that if he truly wished to make a statement as an architect, he needed to abandon that cautious attitude and boldly follow his creative vision. It was advice that Frank Gehry ultimately heeded, forever changing the face of modern architecture.