Frank Gehry, an architect known for creating unusual and eye-catching buildings, passed away last Friday at the age of 96. Mr. Gehry was famous for designing buildings that curved and twisted in ways that seemed impossible. His buildings have had a big effect on how people think about architecture.

Mr. Gehry was born in Toronto, Canada, and later moved to Los Angeles, California. He first began to make a name for himself by redesigning his own home. He used common building materials in unusual ways. The house earned him a lot of attention, and soon other people were asking him to redesign their houses.

Frank Gehry's house in a posh area in Santa Monica. It is built upon an old house, with new elements added into the frame. The image shows two people walking past a structure with odd shapes and strangely protruding walls built around a more "normal" looking American house.Frank Gehry, an architect known for creating unusual and eye-catching buildings, passed away last Friday at the age of 96. His buildings have had a big effect on how people think about architecture. He first began to make a name for himself by redesigning his own home (above).
(Source: IK’s World Trip [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)

Mr. Gehry liked to experiment and try new things. He didn’t want to be held back by the rules that generally limit how buildings are made and what they look like.

The shapes in his buildings often looked like they shouldn’t be able to stand up. But they did. Mr. Gehry thought of his buildings almost like sculptures. He made models out of clay. Then he used computers to help turn the models into real buildings.

Frank Gehry speaking at the Viljo Revell Centenary reception at Toronto City Hall Chambers, 2010. A man with white hair and glasses looks to the viewer's right.Mr. Gehry liked to experiment and try new things. He didn’t want to be held back by the rules that generally limit how buildings are made and what they look like. He was one of the first architects to use computers to help him design buildings. Above, Mr. Gehry speaking in 2010.
(Source: ©City of Toronto / Jose San Juan , via Wikimedia Commons.)

Before Mr. Gehry, it wasn’t common for architects to use computers to design buildings. People thought that computer-designed buildings cost a lot of money. But Mr. Gehry figured out ways to build unusual buildings that weren’t too expensive.

One huge success for Mr. Gehry was the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. When it opened in 1997, its unusual shape and shiny metal appearance became famous quickly. The museum was so popular that it actually helped make the city of Bilbao more popular.

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One huge success for Mr. Gehry was the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain (above). When it opened in 1997, its unusual shape and shiny metal appearance became famous quickly. The museum was so popular that it actually helped make the city of Bilbao more popular.

Mr. Gehry’s buildings were often made of shiny metal and had lots of curves. Sometimes they looked like they were moving or twisting. People often said Mr. Gehry’s buildings looked like they had been crumpled or squished. Others have described his buildings as dancing, swirling, or flying.

Another famous building designed by Mr. Gehry is the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The outside of the building is made of shiny metal, and has lots of curves. The wooden structure inside is designed to help the music sound good.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall, home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, features an acoustically superior auditorium paneled in hardwood. Exterior view of Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and its oddly curving and angled silvery shapes taken in Los Angeles on a clear, sunny day with a dark blue sky and wispy clouds in the background.Another famous building designed by Mr. Gehry is the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The outside of the building is made of shiny metal, and has lots of curves. The wooden structure inside is designed to help the music sound good.
(Source:Carol M. Highsmith [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)

Mr. Gehry designed buildings in countries worldwide. His buildings are popular with people around the world, and commonly bring in lots of visitors. Many other architects have been strongly influenced by his designs. He became so famous that some people described him as a “starchitect” (“star” + “architect”).

But not everyone liked his designs. Some people thought Mr. Gehry’s creations were too strange. Others claimed he designed his buildings just to get attention. But Mr. Gehry said he became an architect “to make the world a better place.” He criticized architects who didn’t put care and effort into their work, and designed “just…buildings”.

Mr. Gehry continued to work until the end of his life. Even at 96 years old, he was still working on several projects.

Mr. Gehry wanted his buildings to be exciting, and to make people feel like they were seeing something new and different. He certainly succeeded. Mr. Gehry’s designs have completely changed people’s ideas of how buildings can look.