Frank Gehry, one of the most influential architects of the last century, has died aged 96.


Gehry was acclaimed for his avant garde, experimental style of architecture. His titanium-covered design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, catapulted him to fame in 1997.


His breakthrough in the architectural world came years earlier when he redesigned his own home in Santa Monica, California, using materials like chain-link fencing, plywood, and corrugated steel.


His death was confirmed by his chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd. He is survived by two daughters from his first marriage, Leslie and Brina, as well as his wife, Berta Isabel Aguilera, and their two sons, Alejandro and Samuel.



Born in Toronto in 1929, Gehry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to study architecture at the University of Southern California, before completing further study at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1956 and 1957.


After starting his own firm, he broke from traditional architectural principles of symmetry, using unconventional geometric shapes and unfinished materials in a style now known as deconstructivism.


Through blending unexpected materials and sheathing buildings in stainless steel to create curvy exteriors, Gehry created buildings that took on arresting sculptural shapes.


Later in his career, Gehry utilized 3D modeling akin to that used by aerospace engineers to shape windy buildings, a practice largely avoided due to its complexity.


In 1989, at the age of 60, Gehry was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize for lifetime achievement. The Pritzker jury praised his work for its highly refined, sophisticated, and adventurous aesthetic.”


Gehry's groundbreaking work fundamentally transformed the city of Bilbao, fueling a cultural phenomenon known as the Bilbao effect, which many other cities sought to replicate.


His iconoclastic designs include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, showcasing his penchant for unpredictability and innovation.


Tributes have poured in celebrating Gehry's ability to engage people emotionally and his willingness to push architectural boundaries until the end.


In a heartfelt statement, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao expressed its gratitude for his monumental contributions, stating, His spirit and legacy will always remain connected to Bilbao.\