Frank Gehry stands behind a model of the King Street project in his hometown of Toronto, inside his Los Angeles studio in April 2021. Getty Images
Frank Gehry visited the University of Waterloo in 1992 and met students, spoke with faculty, and shared ideas. Yet he focused on something simple. He wanted to play hockey. He arrived with his own gear and joined local games with genuine excitement. Larry Wayne Richards, who hosted him, remembers “a very ordinary, very human” side of the famous architect.
A Career of Bold Ideas
Gehry died at his Los Angeles home on Friday. He was 96. His chief of staff, Meaghan Lloyd, confirmed his passing. He spent more than 60 years shaping modern architecture and grew into one of the world’s most recognizable designers.
A twisting tower covered in reflective aluminum tiles, designed by American architect Frank Gehry for the Luma Foundation, appears in a photo taken on July 1, 2019, in Arles, southern France. Getty Images
He started in Los Angeles in the 1950s. His early work followed Modernist ideas. Later he explored new forms influenced by artists around him. By the 1970s he moved into his own direction. He rejected strict rules and created buildings that felt personal. “I want to engage people,” he said in 2015. “But I don’t want to copy the past.”
His most famous work, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, opened in 1997. It made international headlines. It showed a daring use of shape and space. His work refused easy labels. Richards said none of the usual categories fit him because he worked more like an independent artist.
A Childhood That Shaped Him
Gehry was born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto on February 28, 1929. He grew up in a busy, working-class home. His mother loved culture. His father tried many business ideas with little success. Young Frank explored his creativity early. He built shapes with scraps of wood in his uncle’s shop. He played with carp in the bathtub at home. Those fish later inspired major works, including a sculpture created for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Disney Hall, designed by architect Frank Gehry with acoustician Dr. Minoru Nagata, appears here before its 2003 opening as the new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. AP Photo
He also grew up with strong religious discussions. He read Jewish texts with his grandparents and loved long debates. At the same time he wanted his father’s approval. His family moved often. They lived in Timmins for several years before settling in California in 1947.
Building a New Identity
In California he joined the U.S. Army and later studied at the University of Southern California. He moved from art into architecture. He married Anita Snyder and changed his last name to Gehry at her request. He said the new name sounded neutral but still familiar.
The Guggenheim Bilbao, created by Frank Gehry, stands in Bilbao, Spain, in this August 2007 photo. The New York Times
He built stores and offices through the 1960s while he experimented on the side. He created bold early works, including homes for artists. He used unusual materials such as metal, plywood, and chain-link fencing. He looked to painters for ideas and embraced the rough edges of everyday construction.
Major Breakthroughs
His work became widely known in the late 1970s after he rebuilt his own home with unexpected shapes and materials. In the 1980s he took risks to focus on ambitious projects. One theme came from his love of fish forms. Another came from Pop Art. He even designed a building shaped like giant binoculars.
An aerial photo shows the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, designed by Frank Gehry, with a temporary artwork by Daniel Buren displayed at the Bois de Boulogne park. Getty Images
His major cultural projects defined his legacy. He designed Disney Hall in Los Angeles, the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. His use of 3-D design tools allowed him to create shapes once thought impossible.
Impact in Canada
In Canada, his most important work remains the 2008 redesign of the Art Gallery of Ontario. The project expanded the gallery and brought a fresh identity to the building. Toronto will also feature his future work in the large Forma development, now under construction.
Gehry always said he understood Toronto’s feeling. “I walked these streets. I know the place,” he said in 2014.
He leaves behind his wife Berta, daughter Brina, and sons Sam and Alejandro. His daughter Leslie died in 2008.
