Overview
- Gehry died December 5 at his Santa Monica home after a brief respiratory illness, according to his chief of staff, Meaghan Lloyd.
- His 1997 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao became a global destination with 1.3 million visitors in its first year and is credited with catalyzing major economic gains for the city.
- The Bilbao project showcased early use of aerospace-derived 3D modeling tools such as CATIA and extensive titanium cladding, enabling forms previously deemed unbuildable.
- Beyond headline-grabbing landmarks like Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Gehry earned praise for humane adaptive reuse, including his 1978 Santa Monica house, MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary, and the Beckmen YOLA Center.
- Leaders from the Guggenheim, Getty, and Los Angeles Philharmonic issued remembrances, as attention also turns to unfinished work such as the long-delayed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, reported to be slated for 2026.