Frank Gehry dies at 96 after brief respiratory illness
Frank Gehry, the acclaimed architect behind landmark buildings such as the Guggenheim Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall and DZ Bank, died Friday at his Santa Monica home at age 96 after a brief respiratory illness, his death confirmed by Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP. He was a Pritzker Prize laureate and recipient of honors including the RIBA Gold Medal and Companion of the Order of Canada, celebrated for his wildly imaginative, sculptural architecture.
đ Key Facts
- Frank Gehry, 96, died Friday at his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness.
- PBS News reported the death on Dec. 5, 2025.
- The death was confirmed by Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.
- Gehry was a celebrated architect known for wildly imaginative buildings.
- Key works cited include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the DZ Bank building.
- His major honors included the Pritzker Prize, the RIBA Gold Medal and being named a Companion of the Order of Canada.
đ Relevant Data
In 2023, poverty rates in New York City were 12% for White residents, 16% for Asian residents, 20% for Black residents, and 25% for Hispanic residents.
Highlights for New York City From the 2023 American Community Survey â New York City Department of City Planning
The Black population in Brooklyn declined, with the 2020 Census showing a decrease in the borough's Black residents for the first time.
Urban Dispossession: Why Brooklyn? â ArcGIS StoryMaps
The Atlantic Yards project displaced dozens of homeowners and renters using eminent domain.
Urban Dispossession: Why Brooklyn? â ArcGIS StoryMaps
Frank Gehry was replaced as the architect for the Atlantic Yards project in 2009.
Gehry Is Out as Designer of Project in Brooklyn â The New York Times
đ Analysis & Commentary (1)
"An elegiac but critically minded appraisal of Frank Gehry that praises his transformative, sculptural contributions to architecture and cultural life while acknowledging controversies over cost, functionality and the emergence of the celebrity 'starchitect.'"
đ° Sources (2)
- Gehry died Friday at his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness.
- Death was confirmed by Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.
- Article reiterates key works (Guggenheim Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall, DZ Bank) and major honors (Pritzker Prize, RIBA Gold Medal, Companion of the Order of Canada).