Frank Gehry, the revolutionary architect whose audacious designs transformed city skylines from Abu Dhabi to Bilbao, passed away Friday at 96. His death was confirmed by chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd, who noted the visionary succumbed to a brief respiratory illness at his Santa Monica residence.
Gehry’s career spanned seven decades, marked by spectacular structures that challenged architectural conventions. His iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao—hailed by Vanity Fair’s expert panel as the most significant architectural work since 1980—exemplified his genius for creating buildings that appeared both collapsing and magnificently alive. The late Philip Johnson, himself an architectural titan, declared it “the greatest building of our time” and Gehry “the greatest architect we have.”
Beyond the Bilbao masterpiece, Gehry’s portfolio included the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Facebook’s California campus, Paris’ Fondation Louis Vuitton, Prague’s Dancing House, and New York’s 8 Spruce Street tower. Each project demonstrated his unparalleled ability to manipulate form, space, and materials into breathtaking artistic statements.
Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto to Polish Jewish parents on February 28, 1929, Gehry developed an early fascination with architecture through childhood creations built from wood scraps. After studying at the University of Southern California and briefly attending Harvard, he changed his surname at his wife’s suggestion to counter anti-Semitism in the architectural world.
His 1989 Pritzker Prize recognition cemented his professional standing, but the 1997 Bilbao Guggenheim catapulted him to international stardom. Despite criticism that his designs prioritized form over function—with the Disney Hall labeled “deconstructionist trash” by some—Gehry remained philosophical: “You kind of say, ‘At least they’re looking!’”
French billionaire Bernard Arnault paid tribute to Gehry’s enduring legacy, noting his “unparalleled gift for shaping forms” would continue inspiring Louis Vuitton and LVMH brands. Beyond architecture, Gehry designed furniture, jewelry, watches, and even a signature vodka bottle and Lady Gaga’s avant-garde headpiece.