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Frank Gehry, Visionary Architect of Guggenheim Bilbao and Disney Hall, Dies at 96

His computer-enabled sculptural architecture helped turn signature buildings into catalysts for civic identity.

Architect Frank Gehry attends the official groundbreaking of "The Grand" a Frank Gehry designed mixed-use development in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 11, 2019.
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Frank Gehry speaks during the MOCA Gala 2025 at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA on May 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Presley Ann/Getty Images for The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA))
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Overview

  • Gehry died Friday morning at his Santa Monica home after a brief respiratory illness, according to chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd.
  • The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao became a global case study in city revival, drawing over a million visitors in its first year and popularizing the “Bilbao effect.”
  • He advanced the use of 3D digital modeling and unconventional materials such as titanium and corrugated metal to build complex curving forms.
  • Honors included the 1989 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom, with additional recognition from RIBA and the Order of Canada.
  • Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto in 1929, he built a six-decade career from Los Angeles and was still engaged on major commissions at the time of his death.