FRANK OWEN GEHRY

The greatest architects of late 20th century architecture, the Canadian-American Pritzker
Prize-winning designer Frank O. Gehry is the leading exponent of Deconstructivism a
postmodernist style of architecture developed in Europe and the USA during the period
1980-2000.
“Every building is by its very nature a sculpture. You can't help it. Sculpture is a
three-dimensional object and so is a building”

“I approach each building as a sculptural object, a spatial container, a space

with light and air, a response to context and appropriateness of feeling and
spirit. To this container, this sculpture, the user begins his baggage, his
program, and interacts with it to accommodate his needs. If he can’t do
that, I’ve failed.”

Frank Gehry was born Frank Owen Goldberg on February 28, 1929, in Toronto,
Canada.

He Graduated from the university of South California in the year 1954 with top class

After graduating, Gehry joined the prestigious Los Angeles architectural firm of
Victor Gruen Associates.

In 1956, Gehry moved to Cambridge to enroll at the Harvard Graduate School of
Design.

After leaving Harvard, Frank Gehry returned to California, making a name for himself
with the launch of his "Easy Edges" cardboard furniture line. The Easy Edges pieces,
crafted from layers of corrugated cardboard, sold between 1969 and 1973.

Still primarily interested in building rather than furniture design, Gehry remodeled a
home for his family in Santa Monica with the money earned from Easy Edges. The
remodel involved surrounding the existing bungalow with corrugated steel and
chain-link fence, effectively splitting the house open with an angled skylight.
Gehry's avant-garde design caught the attention of the architectural world, ultimately
launching his career to new heights. He began designing homes in Southern California
on a regular basis in the 1980s.
As Gehry achieved celebrity status, his work took on a grander scale.
Gehry Associates

Returning to Los Angeles with his family in 1962, he founded his own firm, Gehry
Associates, and focused on International Style architecture, initiated by
the Bauhaus design school, under director Walter Gropius (1883-1969), and
championed by ex-Bauhaus member Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), the hugely
influential founder of the Second Chicago School.

However, Gehry was increasingly attracted to the avant-garde art scene centered on
the beach communities of Venice and Santa Monica. It was here that he met a
number of top contemporary artists, including the Ed Kienholz (1927-94) and the Pop
artist Ed Ruscha (b.1937), who were (like Marcel Duchamp before them) incorporating
'found' industrial products in their installations, sculptures and paintings, as part of the
California "funk" art movement of the 1960s and early 70s.

Apart from a short burst of national media attention when "Easy Edges", a line of
furniture which he had made out of corrugated cardboard, was featured in national
magazine spreads, his creative output was limited to a small number of innovative
designs for residential homes (mostly for friends), and a number of relatively
conventional building complexes, like the Rouse Company headquarters in
Maryland, and the Santa Monica Place shopping mall
Interestingly, it was his home in Santa Monica, California, that jump-started his
career. Adopting the "junk art" approach of Kienholz and others, Gehry converted
his ordinary house into a model for a new style of domestic architecture, with
stripped walls and exposed structural elements, using a combination of
unusual materials (such as corrugated aluminum, chain link fencing and
unfinished plywood). The finished structure received serious critical attention
and led him to perform further experiments in which he combined unusual
materials and unconventional techniques to create seemingly unstable
structures, such as the California Aerospace Museum, the Frances Goldwyn
Branch Library in Hollywood, and the Loyola University Law School. This avant-
garde style of architecture soon became known as Deconstructivism.

What is Deconstructivism?

During the 1980s and 90s, California witnessed the rise of "Deconstructivism" a
style of architecture that resembled a mutant form of Euclidean geometry: one that
largely ignored the traditional principles of proportion and created discordant
forms that often defied the laws of gravity. The style was first showcased in
1988 at an exhibition entitled "Deconstructive Architecture", organized by
Philip Johnson (1906-2005) - the man who, back in 1932, introduced the
International Style of architecture to America - which was held at the Museum
of Modern Art, in New York. As well as Gehry, the leading pioneers of
Deconstructivist architecture included: Daniel Libeskind, Peter Eisenman, Zaha
Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Bernard Tschumi.
Much of Gehry's work falls within the style of Deconstructivism.
Its application tends to depart from Modernism, in its inherent criticism of
culturally inherited givens such as societal goals and functional necessity.
DeCon structures are not required to reflect specific social or universal ideas,
such as speed or universality of form, and they do not reflect a belief that form
follows function.
Gehry's own Santa Monica residence is a commonly cited example of
deconstructivist architecture, as it was so drastically divorced from its original
context, and in such a manner as to subvert its original spatial intention.

His academic credentials are also impressive: he is a Distinguished Professor of

Architecture at Columbia University; the Judge Widney Professor of Architecture at
the University of Southern California (USC); a former Charlotte Davenport Professor
of Architecture at Yale University; and a former holder of the Eliot Noyes Chair at
Harvard University. A highly innovative contributor to American art, Gehry is,
according to Vanity Fair magazine, "the most important architect of our age".

He continued his career as an architect over the next four decades, working on
private and public buildings in America, Europe and Asia.
 the Malibu house (1972

GEHRY House Santa monica

Deconstructivist
Buildings
Designed by
Frank O Gehry
Vitra Design
Museum, Well
am Rhein (1987-
89)

A white stucco
and zinc exterior
blurs the
difference
between vertical
and horizontal
planes, as well as
interior and
exterior.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles (1988-2003)

A key structure in the redesign of central Los Angeles, its exterior is

covered with titanium plates, while the interior is dressed in panels of
Douglas pine wood.
Nationale Nederlanden Building, Prague (1992-97)

This pair of corner towers, nicknamed "Ginger and Fred" by the citizens of
Prague, seemingly defies gravity in an eye-catching pose that has become
one of the city's major architectural landmarks.
DG Bank Apartments, Berlin (1995-2001)

The building's curved facade is dressed in pale limestone, similar to the

nearby Brandenburg Gate. To the rear of the 40 apartments, a conference
room and cafeteria are encased within a tubular glass ceiling. The conference
room is located within a metal shell shaped like a gigantic horse's head.
Experience Music Project, Seattle (1999-2000)

Resembling the drapery of classical statues, the facade of this music centre is
made up of separate multicoloured sections, created using 3-D computer
programs.
Guggenheim Museum Bilabao
The work of American architect Frank O. Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum has
played a key role in the urban revitalization and transformation of the area, in
addition to becoming the symbol of the city of Bilbao, Spain. It is situated on a
plot of 32,500 square meters, of which 24,000 square meters are occupied by
building. 9,066 square meters are devoted to exhibition spaces.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

Architect :Frank
Frank O Gehry
Location: Bilbao , Spain
Project Year: 1991
Style: Expressionist Modern
Construction system : steel frame, titanium
sheathing, limestone and glass

The museum has :

10500sqm galleries
25000 sqm public space
50m high atrium
An auditorium
Restaurant and cafe.
Concept:
Concept The design of the building follows the style of Frank Gehry. Inspired by
the shapes and textures of a fish, it can be considered a sculpture, a work of art in
itself.
itself. The museum is essentially a shell that evokes the past industrial life and
port of Bilbao. It consists of a series of interconnected volumes, some formed of
orthogonal coated stone and others from a titanium skeleton covered by an
organic skin. The connection between volumes is created by the glass skin. The
museum is integrated into the city both by it height and the materials used. Seen
from the river, the form resembles a boat,boat but seen from above it resembles a
flower.
flower. Although the metallic form of the exterior looks almost floral from
above, from the ground the building more closely resembles a boat, evoking the
past industrial life of the port of Bilbao.
Bilbao is positioned in the Bay of Biscay of Northern Spain, once one of
Spain’s most important ports, home to the countries manufacturing,
commerce and shipping centres.
AERIAL VIEW OF THE MUSEUM
OVERVIEW OF RIVER SIDE FAÇADE
19 CENTUARY
BUILDINGS
FACING THE
GUGGENHEIM
MUSEUM
Museum framed
by the other
existing buildings
Top right is a sail which makes an illusion of sail
RAIL YARD FACADE
ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING
FRONT ENTRANCE
Like many of
Gehry's other
works, it has a
structure that
consists of radically
sculpted, organic
contours. Sited as
it is in a port town,
it is intended to
resemble a ship. Its
brilliantly reflective
titanium panels
resemble fish
scales, echoing the
other organic life
(and, in particular,
fish-like) forms
that recur
commonly in
Gehry's designs, as
well as the river
Nervión upon
which the museum
sits.
Empty spaces above galleries
The large, light-filled atrium serves as
the organizing center of the
museum, distributing 11,000 square
meters of exhibition space over
nineteen galleries. Ten of these
galleries follow a classic orthogonal
plan that can be identified from the
exterior by a limestone finish. The
remaining nine galleries are identified
from the outside by swirling organic
forms clad in titanium. The largest
gallery is 30 meters wide and
130 meters long and houses a
permanent installation called “The
Matter of Time” by Richard Serra.
 The Largest Gallery housing the Richard Serra’s THE MATTER OF TIME
PERMENANT EXHIBITION MADE Of free standing STEEL plates 2 INCHES THICK
Walking through Richard’s sculpture the snake
Structure:
The building is built with load-
load- bearing walls and ceilings, which have an internal
structure of metal rods that form grids with triangles.
triangles The shapes of the museum
could not have succeeded if it did not use load-bearing walls and ceilings.
Catia(three
Catia(three dimensional design software) determined the number of bars required
in each location, as well as the bars positions and orientations. In addition to this
structure, the walls and ceilings have several insulating layers and an outer
coating of titanium. Each piece is unique and exclusive to the place, determined
by Catia.
The steel girders come in many shapes and sizes. The 3D
computer model was used to specified each girder, to be made
individually.
 The steel structure is made up of three
structural frames. The primarily steel girder
frame supports the weight of the building.

The secondary sheathing frame is fixed onto

the steel girders, defining and support the
curved surfaces. Lastly the tertiary frame is
used for fixing the titanium tiles to form the
skin for the building. Construction
Titanium tiles cladding the interlocking surfaces are fixed to the steel frames with screws. In
between a layer of bitumen rubber sealant is provided to ensure there is no water leakage
THE ATRIUM
Atrium is a crucial part of the building which connects all the gallery
spaces. This portion of the building serves like interior as well as
exterior
Hanging passage way connecting the galleries
Hanging Passage links the upper galleries and opens to the
aerial views of the city Bilbao
Materials: Built of limestone, glass and titanium, the museum used 33,
33,000 pieces
of titanium half a millimeter thick, each with a unique form suited to its location.
As these pieces are so thin, a perfect fit to the curves is necessary. The glass
has a special treatment to let in the sun's light, but not its heat.
Constructed of titanium, limestone, and glass, the seemingly random curves of
the exterior are designed to catch the light and react to the sun and the
weather. Fixing clips make a shallow central dent in each of the .38mm titanium
tiles, making the surface appear to ripple in the changing light and giving an
extraordinary iridescence to the overall composition.
The reflections on the building in the rain.
 Reflections on the building on a sunny morning with a clear
sky.
IT SUBSEQUENTLY INSPIRED OTHER STRUCTURES OF SIMILAR DESIGN ACROSS THE GLOBE, SUCH AS THE
CERRITOS MILLENNIUM LIBRARY IN CERRITOS, CALIFORNIA.
THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED ON TIME AND BUDGET, WHICH IS RARE FOR ARCHITECTURE OF THIS TYPE.
AEROSPACE
MUSEUM

Architect Frank Gehry's first major public work celebrates

California's history in the aviation and aerospace industries
with an ingenious use of space and light, an allusion to the
challenges of aerospace design.
The California Aerospace Museum is the first large-scale
realization of the idea of the "frozen explosion," created
though geometric and distinct exterior shapes, which would
become one of Gehry’s signature design elements.
The Aerospace Museum is part of the larger California Science Center, which includes several
other structures by other architects. Even at this early stage, Gehry's work incorporated the
distinctive style he adapted from previous residential projects, creating geometric shifts and
irregular angular forms which break from the spacial bounding of the base structure.
It is situated on a flat, narrow, rectangular site in Exposition Park, south of
downtown Los Angeles. The building is located near the park’s northeast corner.
Its immediate environment consists of a paved lot with an outdoor airplane
exhibit to the east, State Drive and other museum buildings to the south, and the
Exposition Park Rose Garden to the west. Immediately to the north is the
California National Guard 160th Infantry Armory, a brick building constructed in
1912.
The Aerospace Museum has a steel structural system and an irregular floor plan.
It is essentially composed of two 80-foot forms, one regular and one irregular,
separated by a viewing tower. Primary building materials include concrete,
stucco, and sheet metal. The building’s roof is complex and consists of shed and
flat roofs of varying heights. Tall, visible skylight enclosures rise from the roofs
over the 80-foot forms. The skylight in the west volume is a rhombus in plan
and its enclosure is clad with sheet metal, while the skylight in the east volume
is a cross in plan and its enclosure is clad with stucco. The building’s primary
elevation faces south, although its main entrance is accessed from the building’s
north side via a ramp. The concrete ramp winds from the west end of the
building’s south side to a very narrow plaza on the north side between the
armory and the museum. The entrance itself consists of pairs of glazed aluminum
doors facing both north and west. Above the entry doors is a stucco, glass, and
aluminum elevator tower topped with a large, metal-clad sphere. The aluminum
and glass portion of the tower has a shed roof and appears to be breaking
through the stepped, block-like, stuccoed portion.
MAIN ENTRANCE

ELEVATOR TOWER

MAIN ENTRANCE
&ELEVATOR TOWER
LOOKING EAST
VIEW OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSEUM AND ARMORY LOOKING EAST
 WEST ELEVATION LOOKING
NORTHEAST

WET ELEVATION LOOKING

EAST
THE SOUTH FACADE
Located in a park with museums, a sports
arena, coliseum, and other buildings in a
variety of architectural styles, the
Aerospace museum is also attached on the
north side to an old classically- influenced
Armory (which comprises the majority of
the interior space). This post-modern
facade is made up of an arrangement of
diverse sculptural components: a large
metal-skinned polygon, a glass wall with a
windowed prism above it, and a plain stucco
cube with a hangar door.

Details of the Lockheed F104

Starfighter jet serving as a
"billboard" advertising the
function of the museum
Views of the south facade from the east and from the west
 The structure is
segmented, comprising of a
union of differentiated
pieces brought together in
a spacial collage of artistic
style and architectural
form. The Museum's
exterior has the signature
sculptural style that
permeates Gehry's work,
with the facade of the
building an arrangement of
intricate stylistic
components: a large metal-
skinned polygon, a glass
wall with a windowed prism
above it, and a stucco cube
with a hangar door
VIEW FROM THE EAST
VIEW FROM THE EAST

A later addition to the complex

was the IMAX theater on the east
side. Like Gehry's own home and
the courtyard of his Cabrillo
Marine Museum, this work uses
his early trademark--chain-link
fencing.
. Above the aircraft hangar
door is an F-104 Lockheed
Model G Starfighter Jet
poised in mid-flight, jutting
out from the structure as
both artistic statement and
. The purpose of the
structure is reinforced
through these materials,
with the building itself as
an abstraction of aircraft
and their environment.
The interior of the Museum is as
dynamic as its exterior, designed
to give patrons an uninhibited
experience of the museum, with
the freedom to explore in a non-
linear fashion through the
buildings circulatory system of
ramps, flanking stairs and
platforms that bring viewers
through the museum at multiple
elevations, around the suspended
aircraft on display. The use of
skylights is a necessity for the
illumination of the interior
spaces, however Gehry again
takes a unique approach to these
elements, incorporating them into
walls, angling and rotating them
to become architectural elements
within themselves, rather than
simply utilities.
 Gehry has been referred to as a "starchitect"—a label that
Gehry rejects. In a 2009 interview with the British
newspaper The Independent, he explained why he dislikes
the term: "I am not a 'star-chitect', I am an ar-chitect," he
said. "There are people who design buildings that are not
technically and financially good, and there are those who do.
Two categories, simple."
Gehry's architectural firm is based in Los Angeles.
Conclusion: Frank Gehry’s work has redefined the practice of architecture in the second half of
the 20th century. Despite the often controversial nature of his work, he has been recognized by
critics, architects, and historians as a true innovator whose influence is broad and profound. In
2010, Vanity Fair magazine dubbed him “the most important architect of our age,” solidifying his
status as a household name and a living legend. As such, the notion that he should be
recognized as a master architect is undeniable. The California Aerospace Museum marked a
critical point in Gehry’s career. Quoted as his “favorite” building in 1985, it was his first major
public building and one of his first projects to attract international attention.It has also been
recognized as the best example of the warehouse/collision typology developed by the architect
in the early to mid-1980s. It could be easily argued that the warehouse/collision typology led
directly to the development of the undulating metal typology employed in the designs of the
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and the Disney Concert Hall, as the best examples of each parti
essentially consist of overlapping, colliding exteriors and continuous, warehouse-like interiors.
For these reasons the California Aerospace Museum played a crucial role in Gehry’s career and
in the development of his exceptional design language. Consequently, the building is eligible for
listing in the California Register of Historical Resources under Criterion 3 as a defining work in
the career of a master architect.
ASSIGNMENT: 5

1)Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a sum of the location

concept and form acting together, Explain

2 )Piazza D Ittalia is Charles Moore ‘s classisicm in his own

way ,Explain