Frank Gehry Passes Away at 96: Renowned Architect Behind Disney Concert Hall, The Guggenheim in Bilbao & Google’s Venice Campus

Frank Gehry, the renowned Canadian-American architect based in Los Angeles, has died at his Santa Monica home at the age of 96. Gehry was celebrated for his transformative designs, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and corporate campuses for Google and Facebook.

Gehrys architectural approach was marked by a bold combination of geometric and organic shapes, often merging steel, wood, and other materials in unconventional ways. His projects frequently became defining landmarks, reshaping the cities around them.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

In Los Angeles, Gehry was best known for the Walt Disney Concert Hall, whose sweeping steel curves appear to change under different lighting, creating a dynamic visual experience. Beyond its striking exterior, the hall is acclaimed for its acoustics, featuring Douglas-fir walls and ceilings and an oak floor. Originally funded with a $50 million gift from Lillian Disney in 1987, the final cost reached approximately $274 million, including contributions from the Disney family and The Walt Disney Company.

The hall, which opened in 2003, has hosted world premieres and appeared in films such as Iron Man, Collateral, and Furious 7. Gehry described it as a living room for the city, and it played a key role in revitalizing Downtown Los Angeles, alongside developments like The Broad museum and his mixed-use project, Grand LA, which combines residential, retail, and hospitality spaces.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Internationally, Gehry gained fame with the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, opened in 1997. Its flowing titanium forms and organic shapes broke from traditional modernist geometry, evoking images of flowers, sails, or a ships prow, reflecting Bilbaos shipbuilding history. The museum revitalized the city both culturally and economically, reportedly boosting local annual revenue by $500 million.

Other Notable Projects

Gehrys other projects include the Binoculars Building in Venice, housing Googles Silicon Beach campus, and New York Citys IAC Building, completed in 2007. He also designed The Second Century Project at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, a pair of LEED-certified office buildings resembling stacked ice blocks.

Recently, the California Coastal Commission approved a Wolfgang Puck restaurant designed by Gehry in Malibu, featuring a public deck, cafe, and retail space.

Legacy and Honors

Gehrys L.A.-area works also include the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the California Aerospace Museum. Over his career, he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1989 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Author: Noah Whitman