“I love the relationship with the clients,” said architect Frank Gehry. In Bilbao, Spain, where he designed the groundbreaking building for the Guggenheim museum, “people come out and hug me,” he said.

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“I love the relationship with the clients,” said architect Frank Gehry. In Bilbao, Spain, where he designed the groundbreaking building for the Guggenheim museum, “people come out and hug me,” he said.

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Swooping, swirling, gleaming, sculpted — Frank Gehry made buildings we’d never seen before. The architect behind the Guggenheim Museum in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles transformed contemporary architecture. He died Friday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., after a brief respiratory illness, according to his chief of staff. He was 96.

Gehry won all the top awards — including the Pritzker Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1999, when the American Institute of Architects gave him their Gold Medal, Gehry looked out at an audience that included contemporary gods of building — Philip Johnson, Robert Venturi, Michael Graves — and said, “it’s like finding out my big brothers love me after all.”

“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,” says Gehry’s biographer Paul Goldberger. The architect got his share of criticism — “accusations that he made crazy shapes and paid no attention to budget.”

But the praise was louder, because his striking buildings made people happy.

With 12 huge glass “sails,” the Louis Vuitton Foundation takes the form of a sailboat among the trees of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

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With 12 huge glass “sails,” the Louis Vuitton Foundation takes the form of a sailboat among the trees of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

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A woman walks inside the Louis Vuitton Foundation in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

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A woman walks inside the Louis Vuitton Foundation in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

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“I’ve always been for optimism and architecture not being sad,” Gehry told NPR in 2004. “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.”

There was exuberance in his work. The swoops and swirls — made possible with aerospace technology — lifted the spirits of viewers used to post-war modernism — strict, boxy glass and steel buildings that looked imposing and unwelcoming.

Gehry says he found that style, cold, inhuman and lifeless. “I thought it was possible to find a way to express feeling and humanistic qualities in a building,” Gehry said. “But I wasn’t clear about it until I started experimenting, quite accidentally, with fish forms.”

He loved the shape of fish, and the way they moved. He drew them all his life, an inspiration that began in his grandmother’s bathtub in Toronto.

Gehry stands next his fish lamps at his exhibition at the Gagosian Mayfair gallery, in central London, in November 2013. As a child, Gehry remembers watching carp — destined to be dinner — swimming in his grandmother’s bathtub.

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Gehry stands next his fish lamps at his exhibition at the Gagosian Mayfair gallery, in central London, in November 2013. As a child, Gehry remembers watching carp — destined to be dinner — swimming in his grandmother’s bathtub.

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“Every Thursday when I stayed at her house, I’d go with her to the market,” he recalled. “And there would be a big bag of some kind filled with water that we would carry home with a big carp in it. We’d put it in the bathtub. I’d sit and watch it and the next day it was gone.”

Those carp were turned into gefilte fish — a classic Jewish dish — but stayed in Gehry’s memory long past suppertime. He translated their curves and motions into architecture. In Prague, Czechs call his elegant design for an office building “Fred and Ginger” — two cylindrical towers, one solid, the other glass, pinched in at the waist, like dancers. His Disney Hall and his Guggenheim museum swell like symphonies.

Gehry’s whimsical towers in Prague have earned the nickname “Fred and Ginger.”

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Gehry’s whimsical towers in Prague have earned the nickname “Fred and Ginger.”

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“He really wanted you to feel a sense of movement,” Goldberger says. “A building is a static thing, but if it feels like it’s moving, for him that was more exciting.”

The Guggenheim — a billowing swirl of titanium in gold and sunset colors — excited viewers. After it opened in 1997, Gehry said everyone who came to him wanted a Guggeinheim. But Gehry wasn’t interested.

“Like all great artists, he wanted to keep pushing himself and move forward,” Goldberger says. “He did not want to copy himself. He did not want to do that building again.”

The Guggeinheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and The Disney Hall in Los Angeles (it opened in 2003, a swoosh of silver stainless steel, 1/16th of an inch thick) are Gehry’s signature buildings. But they’re a far cry from his early work. His own 1978 residence in Santa Monica sports common materials. If clients couldn’t afford fancy — marble, say — he’d use cheap.

Gehry constructed the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles out of stainless steel. “We’re living in a culture, in a time where movement is pervasive,” he said. “Everything is moving. And so if we hook onto that and use it as part of our language, our architectural language, there’s some resonance for it.”

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Gehry constructed the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles out of stainless steel. “We’re living in a culture, in a time where movement is pervasive,” he said. “Everything is moving. And so if we hook onto that and use it as part of our language, our architectural language, there’s some resonance for it.”

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Inside the Disney Concert Hall.

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Inside the Disney Concert Hall.

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“He started using plywood and chain link fence and corrugated metal,” Goldberger says.

Those buildings got attention. But the later ones made him a star — and a term was coined: Starchitect. Goldberger says Gehry hated it.

“He didn’t really hate fame,” Goldberger explains. “But he was too smart to sacrifice everything for it.”

Gehry kept faithful to his vision. He turned down jobs that didn’t feel right and imagined others that got built, were widely admired, but sometimes didn’t live up to his imagination.

“You know, what’s in my mind’s eye is always 10 times better than what I ever achieve because the dream image can leak …” Gehry said with a laugh. “But in terms of its public acceptance it’s beyond anything I ever expected. I’ve never been accepted before like this.”

Gehry received a National Medal of Arts from Bill Clinton and a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. The New Yorker called Bilbao “a masterpiece of the 20th century.” Architect Philip Johnson said it was “the building of the century.” And the public (with some exceptions, of course) adored the work.

“He made great architecture accessible to people,” Goldberger says, and that re-shaped their sense of what buildings could be.

He describes Gehry’s work as “one of those extraordinary moments where the most advanced art intersects with popular taste. That only happens very rarely in the culture, in any field.”

It’s been said that architecture is the message a civilization sends to the future. With walls that are shaped and sculpted, and buildings that look joyous and free, Frank Gehry’s is a message of humanism and hope.

The author of this obituary, Susan Stamberg, died in October 2025. The story was updated and reviewed before publication.

Shannon Rhoades edited the audio of this story. Beth Novey adapted it for the Web.

Instagram/@lisahochstein

Lisa Hochstein’s dazzling appearance at Bravocon Las Vegas was nothing less than a showstopper, and her clothing choice of fiery red definitely surprised everyone. The ‘Real Housewives of Miami’ diva didn’t shy away from showing off, and she didn’t even have to glam up for posting a picture from the event, which had a lot to do with her vibrant personality and very eager interaction with the audience. With her latest appearance, Lisa Hochstein continues to give an awe-inspiring display to her fashionable side and her loyal fans.

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It was as if Lisa Hochstein already brought Miami’s summer vibes to the desert. The reality star, who is better known for her performance in the ‘Real Housewives of Miami’, was not only spectacular but also shared a picture from her brilliant appearance that made the net buzz non-stop. The lady all dressed in a very red and electrifying manner, quite literally and surely representing the vivaciousness of the event, cut the short and mighty fashion statement – the orator there, showing why she is still a fashion icon for many.

Hochstein’s picture was that of a very assertive person; her smile was very much the one that lit up the image while she was the representative of Miami at the very popular Bravo network convention. Her caption was just ‘bringing the 🔥to VEGAS’ with the love emojis following and giving the credits to her glam squad, among them were the photographer Olivia Wolf and makeup artist Babi Moura. The uncomplicated message masked the striking strength of the image behind it, which got reactions from fans and fellow reality TV lovers at the speed of light.

What made this particular occurrence significant not only the beautiful image but rather the conversation it started among her supporters. The comments section turned into a virtual party celebrating Hochstein’s style and presence. One person wrote, ‘Red is your colour girl’ with a heap of heart emojis and summed up the overall view of her colour choice. Another one highlighted, ‘You look STUNNING! 😍🔥’ and pointed out how impactful her red dress was on the entire scene.

The communication was not only about superficial praise but it was also about the deeper ties that the viewers have formed with Hochstein through her reality television program. ‘You were awesome on this panel,’ said one of the viewers, complimenting her participation at the convention mentioning the specific event she attended. ‘I love your friendship with Guerdy,’ they included her co-star Guerdy Abraira and pointed out the personal relationships that make reality TV alluring for its audience.

Even the smallest things were paid attention to. One follower who was very quick to see things asked about a mark that was visible and said, ‘Have u had a previous back surgery? Thought I saw a scar🙂’ Hochstein replied to the follower that it was the surgery she had when she was five at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. This exchange was a real demonstration of her being approachable by her followers as well as the curiosity that comes with fan interactions where even the tiniest physical traits can lead to discussions.

Comments ranged from the simplest admiration to the most philosophical ones. One person said very thoughtfully, ‘You are not just a beautiful item to exhibit but the very foundation of our success. Your knowledge is the glue that holds the building together and you are constantly seeing the whys and the hows.’ This metaphorical compliment implied that the influence of Hochstein is not limited to the area of aesthetics only, but she is still a powerhouse and a point of view for some of the followers.

While some comments stressed her physical traits with phrases like ‘Red Hot baby’ and ‘awesome smile and beautiful figure’, others focussed on her changing persona with remarks like ‘You get more beautiful every day’. The red color theme of the compliments was very strong and it only confirmed the extent to which her choice of fashion communicated with her audience. Her unseen looks from the show have also generated significant fan reactions.

Hochstein’s participation in Bravocon is more than just another celebrity appearance—it’s part of the larger trend of reality TV personalities becoming cultural icons. The stars get the chance to communicate with their fans right away during such events, and the moments that happen then are shared in digital platforms by means of pictures and conversations. The positive reaction to Hochstein’s presence in Las Vegas is a clear sign of her development as an entertainer and the unwavering fans she has won through her reality show and image.

The fact that she is able to get such overwhelmingly positive feedback with just one fashion moment signifies her understanding of personal branding and visual communication. Whether it was intentional or instinctual, Hochstein identified the power of the bold color choice to make a statement and connect with her audience. The conversation generated was a digital extension of the Bravocon experience that allowed the non-attendees to join in the appreciation of her presence at the convention. She has also been open about her skincare journey after stress affected her complexion.

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Lisa Hochstein’s Vegas moment was another triumphant installment in her public saga, interweaving fashion, television culture, and direct audience engagement into one spellbinding image and the lively discussion. Her relationship with Jody Glidden has also been part of her recent public narrative.