Frank O. Gehry, the innovative master architect and prolific designer whose organically shaped, steel-covered Walt Disney Concert Hall transformed the landscape of downtown Los Angeles, died at his Santa Monica home Friday at age 96.
His death followed a brief respiratory illness, Gehry Partners chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd said.
Gehry, who won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1989, is considered the most recognizable American architect since Frank Lloyd Wright. Among the first architects to embrace the potential of computer design, he pioneered a lively style that used a variety of materials.
Along with Disney Hall, his most famous works include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, a titanium-clad building that received international acclaim on its opening in 1997.
Other notable works are Miami’s New World Center, a concert hall finished in 2011; and the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a museum in Paris completed in 2014.
“Frank Gehry didn’t just design buildings — he created spaces that lift up artists and have brought generations of people together,” L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn posted on X as word spread Friday of Gehry’s passing.
“His design of the SELA Cultural Center on the LA River will be a lasting gift to the families of Southeast LA. We’ve lost a giant. Thank you, Frank.”
Supervisor Chair Hilda L. Solis offered similar sentiments, saying in a statement, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend Frank Gehry.”
“It was one of the great honors of my life to work alongside him on several projects, including The Grand in Downtown Los Angeles, the Colburn School expansion, and our ongoing work to reimagine the Lower Los Angeles River — where his vision helped inspire the possibility of the SELA Cultural Center, a concept that continues to develop with community engagement,” Solis said.
“Frank’s brilliance was matched only by his generosity of spirit, and his ability to see possibility where others saw limits transformed not only the County of Los Angeles and communities across the world, but all of us who had the privilege to work with him.”
Solis added that, in recognition of Gehry’s “extraordinary contributions,” she has chosen the Walt Disney Concert Hall as the location for the new 2026 Board of Supervisors photo.
She called the structure “one of his most iconic and breathtaking works, and a treasured County asset,” adding “It is a place that captures both his genius and the spirit of creativity he brought to our County and the world. His visionary legacy will continue to inspire generations. I will miss him dearly.”