Frank Gehry, visionary architect who reshaped Los Angeles, dies at 96

Frank Gehry, the world-renowned architect behind Disney Hall and the Guggenheim Bilbao, has died at 96 in Santa Monica

Frank Gehry, the groundbreaking architect whose bold designs transformed Los Angeles and reshaped modern architecture, has died at age 96.

Gehry passed away Friday at his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, according to Gehry Partners.

Over a prolific six-decade career, Gehry became one of the world’s most influential architects, known for his radical approach to form and his ability to merge sculptural expression with functional performance. His global fame accelerated with the 1997 opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, a titanium-clad masterpiece that revitalized its host city and inspired the term “Bilbao Effect.” The museum’s sweeping curves and digital-driven design ushered in a new era of architectural innovation.

In Los Angeles, Gehry left an indelible mark. His Walt Disney Concert Hall, completed in 2003, became one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. The concert hall elevated the Los Angeles Philharmonic and demonstrated Gehry’s mastery of acoustics, engineering, and urban impact. Earlier in his career, his unconventional Santa Monica residence, wrapped in exposed metal and glass, helped define his emerging style and launched him into prominence.

Gehry continued producing major works well into his later years, including the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood. His projects consistently reflected a blend of technical daring and human-centered design, emphasizing proportion, light, and movement.

Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto in 1929, Gehry moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and made the city his lifelong home. He is survived by his wife, Berta, and four children.