Frank Gehry

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Frank Gehry

Frank Owen Gehry (born Frank Owen Goldberg; February 28, 1929) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are cited as being among the most important works of contemporary architecture in the 2010 World Architecture Survey, which led Vanity Fair to label him as "the most important architect of our age".

Early Life and Education

Frank Gehry was born in Toronto, Ontario, to parents Sadie Thelma (née Kaplanski/Caplan) and Irving Goldberg. His family was Polish-Jewish. As a child, he was encouraged by his grandmother, Caplan, to build little cities out of scraps of wood. This early interest in architecture was further developed when he moved to Los Angeles in 1947. Gehry studied at the University of Southern California's School of Architecture and later at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Career

Gehry's career began in the 1960s with a series of innovative designs that challenged conventional architectural norms. His early works included the Gehry Residence in Santa Monica, which was a turning point in his career. Gehry's use of unconventional materials and his deconstructivist approach to architecture set him apart from his contemporaries.

Notable Works

Some of Gehry's most notable works include:

• Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain
• Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California
• Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, France
• Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington
• Dancing House in Prague, Czech Republic

Architectural Style

Gehry is known for his bold, postmodern designs, which often feature undulating forms and the use of unconventional materials such as corrugated metal and chain-link fencing. His style is often described as Deconstructivism, a movement characterized by fragmentation, non-linear processes of design, and the manipulation of a structure's surface skin.

Awards and Honors

Frank Gehry has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including:

• Pritzker Architecture Prize (1989)
• Praemium Imperiale (1992)
• American Institute of Architects Gold Medal (1999)
• Companion of the Order of Canada (2002)

Personal Life

Gehry married Anita Snyder in 1952, and they had two daughters before divorcing in 1966. He later married Berta Isabel Aguilera in 1975. Gehry became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1954.

Related Pages

• Deconstructivism
• Pritzker Architecture Prize
• Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• Louis Vuitton Foundation