​Legendary artist Frank Gehry passes away at 96: A look at his 7 most iconic buildings​

Frank Gehry, considered one of the most imaginative and influential architects of the century, has died at age 96. His passing marks the end of an era in which architecture dared to become sculpture, cities became canvases, and buildings broke free from predictable geometry. Gehry didn’t just design structures; he changed the emotional temperature of the places they inhabited. He challenged the very idea of what a building could be, pushing boundaries with curves, titanium skins, and forms that felt alive. Here are seven of his

most iconic works, creations that continue to define his legacy.

Often called one of the greatest buildings of modern times, the Guggenheim Bilbao transformed both a city and a generation of architects. Its titanium curves catch light like waves, turning the museum into a shimmering sculpture along the Nervión River. The building triggered the “Bilbao Effect,” proving that visionary architecture could revive an entire city. For many, this remains Gehry’s most defining achievement, a building that made the world look twice.

One of Los Angeles’ most loved landmarks, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is a symphony in steel. Its swooping metallic surfaces mimic movement and music, giving the structure a sense of rhythm even before you step inside. Known for its exceptional acoustics, the hall feels like a physical embodiment of harmony, a place where Gehry’s sculptural imagination meets the emotional pulse of performance.

Also known as New York by Gehry, this 76-story skyscraper redefined the typical glass-and-box high-rise. Its façade ripples like pleated fabric, shifting with the sun and transforming the skyline with texture and depth. The building is a perfect example of Gehry’s ability to inject softness into steel, bringing movement into one of the world’s most rigid urban landscapes.

Created for the Louis Vuitton Foundation, this museum looks as if twelve glass sails have gently landed in the middle of Paris. Each panel of glass is uniquely curved, giving the building a luminous, floating quality. Inside, concrete and timber form a delicate interplay of weight and transparency. Gehry called it a “sailboat in the park,” and it remains one of his most poetic creations - a structure that feels both monumental and weightless.

This early work announced Gehry’s entry into global architectural conversation. Its geometry - intersecting volumes, fragmented forms, unexpected curves, broke from traditional design and signalled a bold new voice. Though smaller than his later masterpieces, the Vitra Design Museum is considered a pioneer of deconstructivism. It was here that Gehry’s raw, sculptural instincts first found architectural expression.

Nicknamed “Ginger & Fred,” this structure resembles two figures in mid-dance, leaning and swaying toward each other along the Vltava River. The building challenged Prague’s classical skyline and introduced a playful, rebellious spirit into the city. With this project, Gehry proved that architecture didn’t always need to be solemn - it could be whimsical, expressive, even theatrical.

Gehry’s own home, built in the late 1970s, was the laboratory where his ideas took shape. Wrapped in corrugated metal, plywood, chain-link fencing, and exposed framing, the house shocked neighbours and critics alike. But it also marked the emergence of a new architectural language - raw, unconventional, unapologetically experimental. Without this house, the Gehry the world knows today might never have existed.