Frank Gehry, visionary architect behind famed Guggenheim, dies aged 96
He was one of the world’s best-known architects and renowned for his imaginative designs
Frank Gehry, an acclaimed Canadian-American architect renowned for his imaginative designs, has died at the age of 96.
His chief of staff, Meaghan Lloyd, confirmed he passed away on Friday morning in Santa Monica.
Gehry's distinctive work included the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and Berlin’s striking DZ Bank Building.
Born in Toronto on 28 February 1929, Gehry relocated to Los Angeles with his family in 1947.
He later earned his bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Southern California.
His illustrious career spanned over six decades, leaving a legacy of public and private structures across the globe.
Incorporating distorted and fragmented shapes and materials, his work consistently placed a focus on the surrounding environment, ensuring it complemented the wider context and culture.
Over his career he was awarded a range of prizes, including some of the highest honours in the industry.
Those included the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1989 and later the distinguished Gold Medal for Architecture from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2000.
The Guggeinheim, which opened in 1997, is one of Gehry’s most celebrated works.
Made of titanium, limestone and glass, the building has become an iconic attraction and drew 1.3 million visitors in 2024, according to the museum’s website.
Another of his buildings, the Louis Vuitton Foundation in the Bois de Boulogne park, has been described as a “magnificent vessel for Paris.”
Gehry’s work and influence was also recognised by governments and institutions around the world.
In 2003, he was designated a Companion to the Order of Canada and was also inducted into the European Academy of Sciences and Arts by the European Union.
Three years later he was given the distinction of Chevalier,
In 2014 he was elevated to the rank of Commandeur of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, which is the highest honour in France for military and civil merits.
In 2016 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Barack Obama.