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Legendary Architect Frank Gehry Dies at 96

The Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and 1989 Pritzker Prize winner was one of architecture’s most successful and recognizable figures

By Ryan Waddoups
Elderly man gesturing with hands while speaking, seated in front of a bookshelf filled with books, black and white photo.
Frank Gehry. Photo: COURTESY OF HENNESSY

Frank Gehry, one of the world’s most successful and recognizable architects, has died at 96. During his lengthy career, he reshaped cityscapes with structures that carried sculptural bravado and an unmistakable sense of movement, from the gleaming curves of the Guggenheim Bilbao to the rippling surfaces of Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, extending to the billowing glass sails of Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.

An elderly man points at an architectural model on a table surrounded by wooden chairs in a room.
Still of Frank Gehry in Building Justice, directed by Ultan Guilfoyle. Photo: Courtesy of ADFF

He approached each project with restless imagination and a profound interest in how people experience the built environment, often wielding metal, light, and sweeping geometry to conjure civic landmarks that ended up redefining their cities. His achievements sparked new ambition across the field and earned him numerous accolades, including the 1989 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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Discover Some of Frank Gehry’s Iconic Works

Guggenheim Bilbao.

Photograph by Courtesy of Guggenheim Bilbao

Luna Arles.

Photograph by Adrian Deweerdt

Pavillon de Musique.

Photograph by Andrew Pattmann

Fondation Louis Vuitton.

Photograph by Courtesy of Fondation Louis Vuitton

8 Spruce.

Photograph by Courtesy of Gehry Partners
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao with its modern, curving architecture, beside a river reflecting the sunset sky.
Unique building with metallic facade and irregular shape reflecting sunlight, set against a evening sky in a cityscape background.
Open-air wooden structure with geometric beams, surrounded by grassy landscape under a clear blue sky.
Modern architectural building with glass and white panel design surrounded by green trees and grass under a clear sky.
Wavy modern skyscraper facade against blue sky, featuring unique architectural design with flowing lines and curves.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao with its modern, curving architecture, beside a river reflecting the sunset sky.
Unique building with metallic facade and irregular shape reflecting sunlight, set against a evening sky in a cityscape background.
Open-air wooden structure with geometric beams, surrounded by grassy landscape under a clear blue sky.
Modern architectural building with glass and white panel design surrounded by green trees and grass under a clear sky.
Wavy modern skyscraper facade against blue sky, featuring unique architectural design with flowing lines and curves.

A full obituary will follow.