SESSION XIV: A Visionary

What can be said of Frank Gehry that has not been said before? A visionary himself, he has been called bold, innovative, and experimental in his works. All these traits can be found in 21st century architectural design, however, above all the others, they ring true for Frank Gehry. Technological advancements in material use have allowed humans to create mind-bending structures who shine on their outside, becoming instant conversation pieces for any city mayor that possesses one, and indeed for their residents as well. Besides structural matters, these advancements have proved to be beneficial in facilitating the creation of massive, yet highly abstract, design ideas. Such is the case for Frank Gehry, an architect whose work is considered by many to be the peak of 21st century and deconstructivist design.

Through the use of varying scales and twisting geometries, Gehry’s architecture becomes the antithesis of modernism and its grids, repetition of elements and rectangular floor plans. Besides expressing stylistic postures; his works also speak volumes regarding design concepts and even artistic license, which may explain why his designs are interpreted as massive art installations at first glance. Unlike

Moneo, Gehry incorporates his patent-worthy stamp of using malleable metals in

his designs, despite the building’s location.

While, modernist, and even contemporary postmodernist designers such as Rafael Moneo, generated designs around an individual project’s site, Gehry seems to be the exact opposite. Without passing judgement when such an act is subjective by nature and not at all the scope of this writing, what does become clear is that a new style is surfacing, where form does not necessarily demonstrate function.

Case in point is the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic: the Walt Disney Concert Hall, finished in 2003. Contrasting against the city’s more traditional buildings and skyscrapers, the Concert Hall is a conceptual abstraction of a boat’s sails, a feature that emphasizes its poetic movement despite its metallic rigidness.

The interior of the hall as a performance venue adapts perfectly to its ambitious

shell. Curvilinear shapes are present everywhere; from the walls, to the acoustic panels, to the audience seating (which accommodates up to 2,265 people), breaking with traditional “shoebox” concert hall designs. Besides its impressive acoustic properties, the concert hall fuses architecture and music in the shape of a custom-built organ designed to complement the hall’s abstract interior. A parallel can be drawn with Moneo’s fusion of the natural and man-made.

As divisive as Frank Gehry might be his legacy to both present and future

architecture transcends opinion pieces. The persona of Gehry and his experimental work give the aura of a mad scientist trope, eccentric ideas and ambitious goals permeate his being. Even in comparisons to Dr. Frankenstein, in which his architecture takes on a Frankenstein’s Monster feel, credit must be given, for no mere scientist could bring life to what was otherwise dead. Recognition of his grandiose feats is in order, closing the gap between art and functional structure. As the race for technological innovation to construct the highest skyscraper wages on, so too is a race for the most unconventional and artistic monument to strike our blooming cities.

References:

• Acoustics: Walt Disney Concert Hall 10th Anniversary. (n.d.). Retrieved December 08, 2020, from http://wdch10.laphil.com/wdch/acoustics.html

• Aspden, P. (2013, November 22). Interview: Frank Gehry. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.ft.com/content/1c87963c-51cb-11e3-8c42-00144feabdc0?utm_medium=website

• Nyawara, B. (2020, November 08). The Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry's Curvaceous, Stainless Steel in Los Angeles. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www.archute.com/the-walt-disney-concert-hall-frank-gherys-curvaceous-stainless-steel-in-los-angeles/

• Pollack, S. (Director). (2006). Sketches of Frank Gehry. United States: Sony Pictures Classics