🔗 Share this article

Frank Gehry, who has died aged 96, altered the direction of global design at least on two distinct occasions. Initially, in the seventies, his informal aesthetic demonstrated how everyday materials like chain-link fencing could be transformed into an expressive art form. Later, in the 1990s, he showcased the use of software to realise radically new forms, giving birth to the undulating metallic fish of the Bilbao Guggenheim and a host of similarly crumpled creations.

An Architectural Landmark

Upon its was inaugurated in 1997, the shimmering titanium Guggenheim captured the attention of the architectural profession and global media. The building was hailed as the prime embodiment of a new paradigm of computer-led design and a convincing piece of civic art, writhing along the riverbank, part palazzo and a hint of ocean liner. Its influence on museums and the world of art was immense, as the so-called “Bilbao phenomenon” transformed a rust-belt city in Spain’s north into a premier cultural hub. In just 24 months, aided by a global media storm, Gehry’s museum was said with adding $400 million to the city’s fortunes.

In the eyes of some, the spectacle of the building was deemed to detract from the artworks within. The critic Hal Foster argued that Gehry had “given his clients too much of what they want, a overpowering space that overwhelms the viewer, a striking icon that can travel through the media as a brand.”

More than any other architect of his generation, Gehry expanded the role of architecture as a commercial brand. This branding prowess proved to be his greatest asset as well as a potential weakness, with some later projects veering toward repetitive cliche.

From Toronto to the “Cheapskate Aesthetic”

{A rumpled everyman who wore casual attire, Gehry’s informal persona was central to his architecture—it was always innovative, inclusive, and willing to experiment. Gregarious and ready to grin, he was “Frank” to his patrons, with whom he often maintained long friendships. Yet, he could also be impatient and irritable, especially in his later life. On one notable occasion in 2014, he dismissed much modern architecture as “rubbish” and reportedly gave a reporter the middle finger.

Born Toronto, Canada, Frank was the son of immigrant parents. Experiencing prejudice in his youth, he changed his surname from Goldberg to Gehry in his 20s, a move that facilitated his career path but later brought him regret. Paradoxically, this early suppression led him to later accentuate his heritage and identity as an outsider.

He moved to California in 1947 and, following stints as a truck driver, earned an architecture degree. Subsequent time in the army, he briefly studied city planning at Harvard but left, disillusioned. He then worked for practical modernists like Victor Gruen and William Pereira, an experience that fostered what Gehry termed his “cheapskate aesthetic,” a raw or “gritty authenticity” that would inspire a wave of architects.

Finding Inspiration in the Path to Distinction

Prior to developing his signature synthesis, Gehry worked on small-scale renovations and artist studios. Believing himself unappreciated by the Los Angeles architectural establishment, he sought camaraderie with artists for collaboration and ideas. These seminal friendships with figures like Robert Rauschenberg and Claes Oldenburg, from whom he learned the techniques of clever re-purposing and a “funk aesthetic” sensibility.

From more minimalist artists like Richard Serra, he learned the lessons of repetition and reduction. This blending of influences solidified his unique aesthetic, perfectly aligned to the West Coast culture of the era. A major work was his 1978 residence in Santa Monica, a modest house wrapped in corrugated metal and other industrial materials that became infamous—loved by the avant-garde but reviled by neighbors.

Mastering the Machine: The Global Icon

The major evolution came when Gehry started harnessing digital technology, specifically CATIA, to realize his ever-more-ambitious visions. The initial full-scale result of this was the design for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1991. Here, his longstanding themes of abstracted fish curves were unified in a coherent grammar sheathed in shimmering titanium, which became his trademark material.

The extraordinary impact of Bilbao—the “effect”—echoed worldwide and secured Gehry’s status as a global starchitect. Major commissions followed: the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, a skyscraper in New York, the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, and a university building in Sydney that resembled a stack of brown paper bags.

His celebrity extended beyond architecture; he appeared on *The Simpsons*, designed a headpiece for Lady Gaga, and worked with figures from Brad Pitt to Mark Zuckerberg. Yet, he also completed modest and personal projects, such as a cancer care centre in Dundee, designed as a personal tribute.

A Lasting Influence and Personal Life

Frank Gehry was awarded numerous accolades, including the Pritzker Prize (1989) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016). Essential to his story was the steadfast support of his family, Berta Aguilera, who handled the business side of his firm. Berta, along with their two sons and a daughter from his first marriage, survive him.

Frank Owen Gehry, born on February 28, 1929, has left a world permanently shaped by his daring exploration into form, software, and the very concept of what a building can be.