ONE OF THE LEADING PRACTITIONERS OF DECONSTRUCTIVISM: FRANK OWEN GEHRY

ONE OF THE PIONEERING PRACTITIONERS OF DECONSTRUCTIVISM: FRANK OWEN GEHRY

Today, T-COD Architecture wants to talk to you about the Deconstructivist architect and designer Frank Owen Gehry. Let's take a look at the life and works of Frank Gehry, one of the most important living architects who attracts attention with his artistic architectural style.

WHO IS FRANK OWEN GEHRY?

Frank Owen Gehry, whose real name is Ephraim Goldberg, was born in Toronto in 1929. He completed his education at the University of Southern California between 1949-1951 and at Harvard University between 1956-1957. In 1962, he founded his own architectural office, Frank Gehry & Assoc. He has lived in Los Angeles, California since 1947.

FRANK GEHRY'S ARCHITECTURAL PHILOSOPHY

Frank Gehry, one of the pioneering practitioners of Deconstructivism in architecture, is considered one of the most important living architects. Ranked among the most popular contemporary American architects, Frank Gehry has used distinctive forms in an innovative style. In his early works, he was always inspired by the rapid development and artificiality of Los Angeles, the city he always based his designs on. He employs a distinguished style in his works, drawing from classical themes and intense Modernism. He has gained so much fame that various cities around the world commission Frank Gehry to promote tourism. He has created distinctive works that combine curvilinear forms with a deconstructivist approach. In 1989, he won the Pritzker Architecture Prize for his "Monica Place" design. In 1999, he received the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. In addition to architecture, he also worked in furniture design, becoming known for his chairs created by bending wide wooden strips.

FRANK GEHRY ARCHITECTURAL WORKS

Frank Gehry's architectural style shifted from a commercial practice to an artistically oriented workshop. Some of his works include the Dancing House (Prague, Czech Republic), the Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein, Germany), and the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao, Spain).

VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM (WEIL AM RHEIN, GERMANY, 1987-1989)

This building, a major tourist attraction, was designed by Frank Gehry. A private museum, the Vitra Design Museum was founded in 1989 as an independent charitable organization by Rolf Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra Furniture. Spanning two floors and covering a total area of ​​8000 m², it consists of a complex composition of simple boxes. Only white plaster and a titanium-zinc alloy were used in its construction. The building is notable for its complex formal design.

THE DANCING HOUSE (PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC, 1992-1996)

Designed by Croatian and Czech architect Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry, this structure occupies an empty site on the riverbank. Designed to be a visual focal point, it consists of two towers: one cylindrical and massive, the other slender, tall, and made of glass. The glass tower's facade is made of double-layered glass with steel supports. Its form has become a popular cultural icon, and it is also known as Fred and Ginger, as it is dedicated to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and symbolizes two dancing partners.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM (BILBAO, SPAIN, 1991-1997)

Spanning 11,000 m², this structure was completed in 1997. It is one of the most striking of Gehry's later projects. The museum's walls, designed to resemble paper, have a curved shape. The museum, which focuses on 20th-century contemporary art, has approximately 1 million visitors annually.

SUNA KIRAÇ CULTURAL CENTER (ISTANBUL)

This project, significant as Frank Gehry's first and only project in Turkey, was targeted for completion in 2010 but was never realized.