Design 200: Assignment 2

Frank Gehry (1929 – Present)

Frank Gehry was born on February 28, 1929 in Ontario, Canada. Gehry completed his architectural education at the University of Southern California in 1954 and began his apprenticeship at Victor Gruen Associates. In 1962 he established his own firm and began experimenting with various architectural styles. Gehry was interested in the possibility of design with industrial products such as aluminum that were readily available and cost-effective. His line of industrial corrugated cardboard furniture called Easy Edge was a result of this interest in building with inexpensive industrial products.

Gehry’s work was first noticed when he designed and built his own home in Los Angeles, California which led to a few small residential building commissions. However, his most well known and praised design to date is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain which was completed in 1997. Gehry’s other noteworthy designs include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the California Aerospace Museum, and the American Center in Paris, France.

Frank Gehry is one of few architects who reached a notable level of fame and recognition during their lifetime. His ability to turn “paper architecture” into a unique and personal style that engaged and interested his clients in his architectural experimentations has been the key to his success. As a contemporary architect, Gehry is also one of few designers whose work is well documented in digital format. Videos, photographs, and biographies of Gehry document his career from its early beginnings which is not common for most great architects. It has been very interesting to see, hear, and learn about his designs and design processes from him.