Frank Gehry tributes praise his “extraordinary mind” and “endless imagination”
Tributes to Frank Gehry from across the design world and beyond have flooded in following his death on 5 December.
Gehry died aged 96 at his home in Los Angeles following a brief respiratory illness, according to his chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd.
One of the world’s most well-known architects, Gehry redefined architecture during his almost eight-decades-long career, challenging convention with his unrestrained creativity, resulting in truly original buildings including the Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain and Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, US.
Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie said of Gehry, “He was my friend for over 50 years. We shared difficult times and good times. He was a courageous architect. I knew him in the early days when his work was doubted, when he was ridiculed, well before he was celebrated for the genius that he was. He never stopped exploring, his quest was constant, forever reinventing. He was a loyal friend. I loved him dearly.”
“Frank Gehry should be celebrated for his extraordinary originality,” said Polish-American Daniel Libeskind. “An architect who certainly changed the course of architecture, by underlying that it was first an art, and only secondarily a service."
“He was a friend whose works were always challenging, surprising and provocative.”
Lebanese-born architect Lina Gotmeh, who held the position of Frank O Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design at the University of Toronto in 2021/2022 said: “I had the honour of meeting Frank in 2023 when we were competing against one another for the Abu Dhabi Performance Hall. He was full of joy, humour, and an unshakable passion for architecture.
“His legacy, brilliance, and warmth will continue to inspire far beyond our time.”
Architectural photographer Iwan Baan said: “RIP Frank Gehry. An extraordinary mind and a restless maker. Grateful for the years of collaboration and everything he taught us. It’s been a privilege to work with him and to exhibit in two of his museums over the years. He will be missed.”
In 2016, Gehry received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honour, from former US President Barack Obama for redefining modern architecture. In his citation, Obama said that Gehry "spent his life rethinking shapes and mediums, seemingly the force of gravity itself.
"The idea of what architecture could be, he decided to upend, constantly repurposing every material available from titanium to paper towel tubes.
"Frank's work teaches us that while buildings may be sturdy and fixed to the ground, like all great art they can lift our spirits – they can soar and broaden our horizons."
Born in Canada and relocating to the United States in the late 1940s, Gehry studied architecture at the University of Southern California. His first major breakthrough came in the 1970s when he redesigned his Santa Monica house, featuring unconventional, layered forms crafted from materials like corrugated metal and chain link fencing.
In 1989, Gehry received the Pritzker Architecture Prize alongside numerous other accolades including the AIA Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Gehry was catapulted to worldwide fame with the design of the titanium-clad Guggenheim Bilbao, which helped to transform the fortunes of the Spanish city.
Due to open later this year, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi – built as part of the Saadiyat Island cultural development – will be Gehry's last major cultural building.
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