12/07/2025
At our first year in architecture school, in the 1990s, many of us first saw Frank Gehry’s work — often through photographs of the Vitra Design Museum. Its curving, sculptural forms were unlike anything we were learning at the time, and for many young architects, it opened our eyes to a completely new way of thinking about space and expression.
A few years later, during graduate studies in Los Angeles, Gehry’s influence was everywhere. The Guggenheim Bilbao had just opened, instantly becoming one of the most iconic buildings of its era. The early 2000s were an incredibly creative period for him, with LA at the center of that momentum. Hearing him lecture and experiencing that moment firsthand left a lasting impact on how we understand architecture.
His buildings across the U.S. and Europe continue to inspire — bold, surprising, and full of life. If you ever have the chance to visit them, they’re truly worth the journey. Gehry changed how so many of us see architecture and expanded our sense of what’s possible.
His work will continue to inspire us.
