Frank Gehry-Architect-Heller Furniture

"This is the beginning of an exploration..." - Frank gehry

Frank Gehry

The most celebrated architect working today, Frank Gehry has single-handedly changed conventional ideas about architecture.

Frank Gehry was born in Toronto in 1929, and he moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 17. He studied urban planning at Harvard University Graduate School of Design after attending the University of Southern California.

Frank Gehry-Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

As a modernist inspired by Alvar Aalto, he has always focused on how to "humanize" a building. His answer: through the inventive use of materials.

In his approach, he has always been more of an artist than a traditional architect. Like contemporary painters Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, he created beauty by juxtaposing ordinary materials.

His early buildings incorporated corrugated tin and chain link fencing. He made his early furniture from cardboard rolls inspired by the discards of architectural models. Critics didn't like his buildings because they weren't classical, had strange colors, and were excessively large in scale. He didn't get many jobs at first.

Frank Gehry-Heller Left Twist

But Gehry wasn’t fazed. “You have to free yourself of all the rules to let ideas happen.” In 1962, Gehry started his own practice. His ideas led to some of the most amazing and creative buildings in the world.

Gehry became famous in 1997 with the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, known for its unique titanium-clad curves. His earlier work, like the Vitra Design Museum, also gained recognition for its innovative design. The Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles was a big success in 2004. Its shiny stainless steel sails sparkled in the sun.

Gehry's method of creation is incredibly tactile. He has always had a fondness for manual work, and he recalls some of his most joyful childhood moments were spent playing with construction toys. His skill in a pottery class during university prompted a lecturer to suggest he pursue architecture. Despite the prevalence of technology today, Gehry still relies on paper, ink, and shears to bring his designs to life.

Frank Gehry-John Edelman- Heller Furniture

First, he must fully understand his client's instructions and the location and purpose of the building. He believes that the more information he has, the more creative freedom he will have.

Next he scribbles loose conceptual sketches. He works with his team to make models of different sizes by cutting, folding, creasing, crushing, and gluing materials. After he likes a model, he scans it into a computer program that creates architectural plans.

Frank Gehry’s unique vision has brought him numerous honors, including the 1989 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the 1998 National Medal of Arts Award, the 1999 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal.

With his original and controversial vision, he continues to take creative risks and to transcend the boundaries of architecture.

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