Canadian-American architect Frank O. Gehry, creative force behind construction of the Concord Pavilion and whose soaring architectural style reshaped city skylines around the world, died December 5, 2025, at his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness. He was 96.
Gehry designed the original Pavilion in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Walker in 1975, further lending his stamp on its significant expansions and renovations in the mid-1990s. Gehry’s distinctive style, using exposed steel and concrete, is a key feature of the iconic local amphitheater.
The mind behind the sweeping architectural style which eventually became known as the “Bilbao effect,” Gehry gained attention in the 1970s and ’80s with his whimsical, experimental works. Early work included innovative furniture design, but he gained international fame for buildings that merged sculpture and architecture. His renovation of his own Santa Monica home also attracted critical acclaim, transforming a modest bungalow into a striking, deconstructivist landmark that would set the tone for his later work.
Born Frank Owen Goldberg on February 28, 1929, in Toronto, Gehry moved with his family to California as a teenager. After serving briefly in the U.S. Army, he studied architecture at the University of Southern California, and later city planning at Harvard Graduate School of Design, before establishing his own firm in 1962.
Among his best known works is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (1997), a titanium-clad building whose sinuous curves redefined what a museum – or any building – could look like. He also designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, a landmark of contemporary architecture known for its blend of function and artistry.
Over his 60-year career Gehry designed museums, concert halls, residential towers and cultural centers around the world. Though some critics called out his work as whimsical or ostentatious his creations expanded the boundaries of architecture and inspired a following generation of architects.
