Who was Frank Gehry? Prize-winning architect behind the Guggenheim Bilbao and Disney Concert Hall dies at 96 due to respiratory illness

Architect Frank Gehry, known for his unconventional and inspiring designs that defy gravity, is dead. The artist passed away on Friday, December 5, 2025, in his home in Santa Monica, California. As confirmed by his Chief of Staff, Frank died after a brief battle with a respiratory illness. He was 96.

Architectural Hunter posted a tribute on Instagram celebrating the late legend’s legacy. They wrote:

“Today, we honor the life and legacy of Frank Gehry, a visionary who challenged conventions and redefined the possibilities of architecture. His work transformed form into feeling, structure into movement, and buildings into experiences that continue to shape the imagination of generations. Gehry leaves behind a legacy rooted in creative courage and emotional depth — a reminder that architecture can move us, surprise us, and expand the way we see the world.”

They also acknowledged some of his best works in the post.

1) Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Erika

2) Vitra Design Museum

3) 8 Spruce

4) Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

5) DZ Bank Building

6) BP Pedestrian Bridge, Chicago

7) Weisman Art Museum

8) Luma Arles

9) Dancing House, Prague

10) Foundation Louis Vuitton, Paris

Frank Gehry was one of the most influential architects of the modern era.

More details on Frank Gehry’s architectural career and designs

Frank Gehry’s architectural designs were synonymous with swooping, swirling, and sculpted buildings. He won all the top awards reserved for architects— including the Pritzker Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Frank Gehry's biographer Paul Goldberger said:

“He was probably the only truly great artist I've ever encountered who desperately cared what people thought of him and that people loved his work.”

In a 2004 interview with NPR, Frank stated that his designs are made with feelings.

“I've always been for optimism and architecture, not being sad. You know, a building for music and performance should be joyful. It should be a great experience, and it should be fun to go to.”

He continued:

“I thought it was possible to find a way to express feeling and humanistic qualities in a building. But I wasn't clear about it until I started experimenting, quite accidentally, with fish forms.”

A spokesperson for the Solomon Guggenheim Museum and Foundation admitted to Hyperallergic that the architect would be missed.

“His daring vision and design brilliance reshaped the field of architecture and our contemporary world. Gehry showed us how powerful and transformative museum architecture can be.”

The Guggenheim spokesperson added:

“Frank will be greatly missed, and we know that his legacy will inspire many generations to come.”

The jury of the Pritzker Architecture Prize praised him upon his win, comparing his work to that of Pablo Picasso.

“Always open to experimentation, he has as well a sureness and maturity that resists, in the same way that Picasso did, being bound either by critical acceptance or his successes.”

They added:

“His buildings are juxtaposed collages of spaces and materials that make users appreciative of both the theatre and the back-stage, simultaneously revealed.”

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