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32m ago

Frank Gehry, Boundary-Breaking Architect of Guggenheim Bilbao, Dies at 96

His chief of staff said he died at home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness.

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US architect Frank Gehry has designed some of the most famous and convention-busting buildings of modern times, such as the 'Dancing House' in Prague
A drone view shows the Guggenheim Museum, in Bilbao, Spain in May, 2025. Architect Frank Gehry died on Dec. 5, according to reports.
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Overview

  • Meaghan Lloyd of Gehry Partners confirmed on Friday that Gehry died at his Santa Monica residence at age 96.
  • Gehry reshaped contemporary architecture with sculptural landmarks including the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
  • The Bilbao museum became a touchstone for the “Bilbao effect,” drawing more than a million visitors in its first year and energizing the city’s economy.
  • He earned the 1989 Pritzker Prize and later the Presidential Medal of Freedom, advancing digital modeling and experimenting from his 1978 Santa Monica house to titanium-clad cultural buildings.
  • He was still active on major commissions late in life, and is survived by his wife Berta, sons Sam and Alejandro, daughter Brina, and sister Doreen; his daughter Leslie died in 2008.