- Design Philosophy: “To design something

FRANK O. GEHRY that one would want to be a part of,

something one would want to visit and enjoy
GEHRY’S BACKGROUND: in an attempt to improve one's quality of life.”
(design philosophy/theory is underlined), (ppl Gehry considers architecture to be the quest to
who influenced him) transfer the feelings of humanity through inert
- one of those architects who believed in materials.
architecture for art’s sake - born in Canada, 1929
- sees architecture as a sculptural work & an art - was a naturalized US citizen
piece - he graduated from USC in 1954
- “I approach each building as a sculptural - began to work with Victor Gruen Associates
object, a spatial container.” where he had been apprenticing part-time while
- considers the Walt Disney Concert Hall to be still in school
his first major project in his own home - spent a year in the army
- he has a long association with the Los Angeles - admitted to Harvard Graduate School of
Philharmonic Orchestra where he worked to Design to study urban planning after a year in
improve the acoustics of the Hollywood Bowl the military
- designed the Concord Amphitheatre in - returned to LA and briefly worked for Pereira
Northern California and Luckman before rejoining Gruen in 1960
- worked on Merriweather Post Pavilion of - 1961: moved to Paris with his family (2
Music much earlier in his career in Columbia, daughters & wife) where he worked in the office
Maryland of Andre Remondet
- the Museum of Contemporary Art selected him - he also studied works by Le Corbusier,
to convert an old warehouse into its Temporary Balthasar Neumann when he moved
Contemporary exhibition space while the - 1962: set up his own firm
permanent museum was being built - for a time, his works used “unfinished”
- remodeled an ice warehouse in Santa Monica qualities as a part of the design
where he added some buildings to the site into a - he relied so much on model making
combination art museum/retail and office - his methods are very exhaustive but he wanted
complex it to look like its unfinished (in short: - in his
- “architecture is art”: inspiration of Gehry process, there seems to be so much thought into
- often times, when asked if he had any mentors it but the result has the opposite effect)
in the history of architecture, he replied by
picking a Brancusi photograph on his desk
- his architecture is known for its reliance on HIS WORKS:
harsh, unfinished materials and its juxtaposition 1. ON HIS OWN HOUSE:
of simple, almost primal, geometric forms - he started to explore the strength and vitality of
- was said to be an architect of immense gifts unfinished construction
who dances on the line separating architecture - people did not appreciate his first house
from art but never manages to let himself fall - “undisciplined & childish” (sabi ni sir yap
- he was sued for defects and leaks in his design HAHAHA)
2. VITRA INTERNATIONAL
CITATION FROM THE PRITZKER JURY: FURNITURE MANUFACTURING
(check pdf for full content) FACILITY AND MUSEUM, WEIL
● refreshingly original and totally AM RHEIN, GERMANY
American, proceeding as it does from 3. FRANCES HOWARD GOLDWYN
his populist Southern California REGIONAL BRANCH,
perspective, his work is a highly refined, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
sophisticated, and adventurous aesthetic 4. FISHDANCE RESTAURANT,
that emphasizes the art of architecture KOBE, JAPAN
- most architects, especially modernist and 5. DANZIGER STUDIO,
functionalist attitudes, wouldn’t go for his works HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
as his works is almost opposite of what other 6. CALIFORNIA AEROSPACE
architects wanted MUSEUM, LA, CALIFORNIA
7. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM,
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BILBAO, SPAIN
● It is a world in which our values and 8. LEWIS BUILDING, CLEVELAND
priorities are constantly being 9. MARTHA MUSEUM
challenged. It is simplistic to expect a 10. COMMERZ BANK, BERLIN
single right answer. 11. NEUER ZOLLHOF, DUSSELDORF,
- he wanted to be more of an artist rather than GERMANY
practicing architecture for its scientific aspect 12. CHIAT DAY BUILDING, VENICE,
- architecture is also a social career/field where US
public, their interest and experience is also a big 13. EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT
part of (Gehry prioritized this component in MUSEUM, PRAGUE
architecture that it becomes almost like a 14. WEISMAN ART MUSEUM
masterpiece in its own right; an art) 15. PRITZKER MUSIC PAVILION,
CHICAGO
 16. CLINIC, CLEVELAND - He founded Frank O. Gehry and Associates in
17. IAC BUILDING, NEW YORK 1962, and later Gehry Partners in 2002.
18. AMERICAN CENTER, PARIS - His architectural style is unique and difficult to
19. LUMA ARLES COMPLEX categorize, so he has been considered modernist,
postmodernist, or contemporary.
SUMMARY ON FRANK GEHRY:
- His style is best described as deconstructivist.
- Frank Gehry was born Ephraim Owen
Deconstructivist architecture is marked by going
Goldberg in Toronto, Canada in 1929.
against traditional structures. It did not find it
- He was a very imaginative child, which
necessary to follow standard design ideas and
worried his parents. Because of financial
left much room to experiment with new designs
hardship, his family moved to Los Angeles in
and forms.
1947 and took the family name Gehry in an
attempt to avoid discrimination against their - His architectural designs are not decorative,
Jewish heritage. but extremely playful.
- In 1954, he graduated with a degree in - Influences on his style and design includes:
architecture from the University of Southern
● sailing:
California (USC).
- He enjoyed sailing, and this is
- began to work with Victor Gruen Associates
reflected in his designs which
where he had been apprenticing part-time while
have the shapes of sails, waves,
still in school
and sea creatures. He admired
- spent a year in the army
Baroque sculpture from the
- admitted to Harvard Graduate School of
17th-18th centuries; the flow
Design to study urban planning after a year in
and curves found in the
the military where he became troubled because
sculptures are not so different
he thought architecture lacked a sense of social
from the flow and curve found
justice. (He mostly saw architecture as art.)
in sails and the sea.
- returned to LA and briefly worked for Pereira
● visual art
and Luckman before rejoining Gruen in 1960
- Gehry prioritized this
- 1961: moved to Paris with his family (2
component in architecture that it
daughters & wife) where he worked in the office
becomes almost like a
of Andre Remondet
masterpiece in its own right; an
- he also studied works by Le Corbusier,
art
Balthasar Neumann when he moved
 - His architecture drew - He likened his architectural
inspiration from visual art, designs to jazz music: fluid,
which can be seen in the dynamic, and representative of
undulating waves of the 8 culture.
Spruce Street Tower (previously - he has a long association with
the Beekman Tower) in New the Los Angeles Philharmonic
York. This is a reference to the Orchestra where he worked to
elegant folded fabric in the improve the acoustics of the
marble statue of the Ecstasy of Hollywood Bowl
St. Theresa by Gian Lorenzo - designed the Concord
Bernini, who was one of Amphitheatre in Northern
Gehry's biggest influences. California
● Collage and Junk Art - worked on Merriweather Post
- Gehry was inspired by the early Pavilion of Music much earlier
20th-century art movements of in his career in Columbia,
cubism and dadaism. Maryland
- Collages and still life created by - When he was designing the
Picasso, Duchamp, and Morandi Museum of Pop Art, or Mopop,
during this time period in Seattle, he listened to Jimi
influenced the way Gehry Hendrix's song "Purple Haze,"
assembled his buildings. Gehry and studied Fender Stratocaster
liked to show his respect for the guitars by playing with the
non-traditional by using disassembled parts of these
corrugated metal and raw instruments to create a new
construction materials drawn by form. The result of his design
the junk art movement of the process is a building with a
mid-20th century. unique shape, like joined parts,
- Gehry enjoyed being shocking and paneling that has a purple
in his work and even haze.
experimented with asphalt for
the kitchen floor of his own
Gehry House.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON
● Music's Influence on Frank Gehry
GEHRY:
1.https://www.theartstory.org/artist/gehry-frank/
2.https://study.com/learn/lesson/frank-gehry-arc
hitecture-style-influences-work.html#:~:text=Ge
hry%20was%20inspired%20by%20the%20early
%2020th%2Dcentury%20art%20movements,wa
y%20Gehry%20assembled%20his%20buildings.
3.https://www.archdaily.com/129680/interview-
with-frank-gehry
4.https://www.npr.org/2015/09/10/438944405/fr
ank-gehrys-lifelong-challenge-to-create-building
s-that-move
5.https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/be
st-of-frank-gehry-slideshow