A legacy of bold and whimsy design
From Bilbao to Sydney, Frank Gehry changed how the world sees buildings, blending art and innovation into structures that transformed culture and redefined possibility.
On 5 December 2025 one of architecture’s boldest visionary spirits passed away. Frank Gehry was the architect who not only changed skylines but also changed how we imagine what buildings can be.
Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto in 1929 to a Jewish immigrant family, he changed his name to Gehry in his 20s in pursuit of greater acceptance, conscious of the antisemitism he and many others faced.
Raised in Toronto, Gehry migrated to Los Angeles in 1947. He studied ceramics at the University of Southern California before turning to architecture, setting up his own studio by 1962 after formative years in firms designing banal shopping malls.
The decision to adopt Gehry as his surname was an attempt to smooth his way in a profession not always welcoming to Jewish names. Yet he never abandoned his identity. Rather he absorbed his experience as an outsider into architecture, often defying rules and challenging conventions.
His early experiments, such as the radical remodel of his own modest Santa Monica home using plywood, corrugated metal and chain-link fencing, shocked neighbours but pointed toward a new form of architectural expression.
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