"Practically overnight, its billowing, titanium-sheathed forms helped transform a moribund industrial port into a global destination, and turned their rumpled Los Angeles architect into a household name. The project's ebullience also gave the field of architecture, which had been busy rehashing postmodernism, a swift, deconstructivist kick in the rear-showcasing the swooping forms that were now feasible with ever more sophisticated design technologies."
"Gehry, who died on Friday at his home in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 96, will forever be associated with high-profile projects such as Bilbao, as well as Walt Disney Concert Hall, which in 2003 brought elegant sparkle to a dour part of downtown Los Angeles. In the coming days, his legacy will be heavily scrutinized-praised for its breakthroughs but also criticized for forces it helped unleash."
Frank Gehry gained international fame for sculptural, titanium-clad landmarks that reshaped cities and public perception. The Guggenheim Bilbao (1997) transformed a declining industrial port into a global destination and made Gehry a household name. Walt Disney Concert Hall (2003) enlivened downtown Los Angeles. Gehry’s expressive forms helped advance deconstructivist aesthetics enabled by new design technologies. The Bilbao effect fueled a starchitectural arms race and generated criticism over spectacle-driven development. Gehry produced celebrated successes and controversial failures, including the Experience Music Project and the Grand L.A. redevelopment. Gehry also demonstrated a talent for adapting ordinary buildings into humane, delightful places.
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