Frank Gehry, legendary Canadian-American architect, dies aged 96
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Architect Frank Gehry Dies at 96
Was he a visionary who elevated architecture to cultural icon status, or a celebrity architect who prioritized spectacle over function?
Above: Frank Gehry at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on Oct. 5, 2023. Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Frank Gehry's death marks the loss of an architect who achieved unparalleled worldwide fame through imaginative designs such as the Guggenheim Bilbao and the Disney Concert Hall. His strong Hollywood connections and collaborations with celebrities demonstrated architecture's cultural relevance beyond academic circles. Despite critics dismissing some work as tourist attractions or oversized scrap-wood cities, Gehry earned every major architectural prize and personally oversaw projects well into his 90s.
Narrative B
No one can deny that Frank Gehry's trajectory has been unique. However, his work highlighted a dangerous reduction of architecture to celebrity branding and sculptural spectacle rather than functional design. The focus on dazzling exteriors distracted from architecture's true purpose, as critics rightfully questioned whether these buildings served as anything more than global marketing tools. His reputation as a "star-chitect" exemplified how architecture became corrupted by fame-seeking rather than serving communities.