- Frank Gehry, one of the most prestigious and innovative architects of the modern era, passed away at the age of 96 at his home in Santa Monica due to a respiratory illness.
- He gave a new direction to global architecture and gained worldwide fame for his bold, sculpture-like forms and innovative designs.
- Gehry received the Pritzker Prize, one of the highest honors in architecture, which is often called the “Nobel Prize of Architecture.”
- He was honored with the RIBA Gold Medal and several lifetime achievement awards by various international institutions.
- His creations were appreciated for their originality, American spirit of innovation, and complex structural experimentation.
- Gehry’s design approach was inspired by modern pop art, which made his buildings unconventional and visually striking.
- His major works include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, and the DZ Bank Building, Berlin.
- These buildings challenged traditional architectural norms and established the use of new engineering techniques and digital modeling.
- Gehry completed influential projects even after the age of 80, including the IAC Building, New York (2007) and New York By Gehry (2011).
- His 76-storey New York By Gehry tower became one of the tallest residential buildings in the world and gave a new shape to Lower Manhattan’s skyline.
- He taught at prestigious universities such as USC, Yale, and Columbia, thereby influencing a new generation of architects.
- Several criticisms were also made regarding Gehry’s unconventional and bold style, with some critics describing his buildings as excessively grand or tourism-oriented.
- The Eisenhower Memorial and various corporate expansion projects were among the major controversial aspects of his career.
- Despite criticism, his creative freedom, risk-taking ability, and revolutionary thinking made him the most influential name in modern architecture.
- His life’s work remains a lasting symbol of imagination, innovation, and artistic courage in global architecture.
