Architect Frank Gehry

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 11:00 AM EDT

Architect Frank Gehry

We sit down with super architect Frank Gehry of the Guggenheim-Bilbao, and many more, on the future of what humans build.

Architect Frank Gehry is seen in front of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, in Las Vegas. (AP)

Frank Gehry hates the glib tag “starchitect,” but that’s a piece of what he is: the super architect behind so many of the most thrilling, imaginative, challenging new structures in the world.

The Guggenheim Bilbao museum, the titanium clad “gargantuan bouquet of writhing silver fish” in Spain? Gehry’s. The soaring, kaleidoscope of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles? Gehry. Tradition-busting, era-making, path-breaking designs all over the world? Gehry.He’s with us today.

This hour On Point: super architect Frank Gehry, and the meaning of what humans build.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Frank Gehry, Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.

Photos

From Tom’s Reading List

Vanity Fair “Bilbao—today one of the top tourist destinations in Europe—was such a backwater in the 1990s that, according to Gehry, the 265,000-square-foot museum, beside the Nervión River, went up almost unnoticed by the press. That only contributed to the drop-dead impact it created with its unveiling. “I like to work under the radar as much as I can. It’s been harder since I’ve gotten notorious,” says Gehry. ”

New York Magazine “Frank Gehry’s New York looks so vivid in miniature, a parallel city of masterpieces in plastic, cardboard, and painted foam. Let’s start our fantasy tour at the vantage point of Brooklyn Heights.”

TED “Frank Gehry is one of the world’s most influential architects. His designs for the likes of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA are bold statements that have imposed a new aesthetic of architecture on the world at large, enlivening streetscapes and creating new destinations. Gehry has extended his vision beyond brick-and-mortar too, collaborating with artists such as Claes Oldenberg and Richard Serra, and designing watches, teapots and a line of jewelry for Tiffany & Co. “

Incog

“human’s?”….. you really don’t know how to use an apostrophe?
wmaher

Mr. Gehry should design all architecture for tsunami-vulnerable zones. This way, no one would would be able to detect any damage was done after a tsunami hit. I’ll go out on a limb and bet Mr. Gehry loved an earlier warped fad of architectural design called “brutalism,” unfortunately on display at Government Center in Boston. I have to look at this depressing, disgusting trainwreck, on my way to work on a daily basis. I can only pray that Mr. Gehry stays far, far away from my living area. When Mr. Gehry’s “cool,” infantile design fads wear off in a decade or so, the property values will also suffer with his obnoxious eyesores. I had to save the picture of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health for its breathtaking ugliness. Well Cleveland could badly use Tourism money. Maybe this was a brilliant move.

Anonymous

Gehry’s buildings are beautiful and not at all like the ugly brutalistic eyesore in Boston.
BHA in Vermont

Gotta agree with you there. I suspect my daughter would say that is what her brain looks like when she is in one of her 3 day long migraines.

I’ll be going to Cleveland in June, have to look up the address so I can make sure I give it a wide berth.

Rational

How about a building covered with fur? Impracticable and wasteful designs may be a statement of art and creative design, but from a usability and economical standpoint these buildings are wasteful to construct and maintain.

I’m glad I only have to see these buildings, and not work or live in them.

I hope as a taxpayer…I’m not paying for them as well. IMO there is ineffable beauty in practical simplicity, that trumps ego driven narcissism every time.
Robert B. Pierce

I’m not much of a fan
of Frank Gehry. Perhaps it’s because I’m a fan of pipe organs, and was shocked
when I first saw a picture of the
façade, designed by Gehry, of the Rosales organ in the Walt Disney Concert Hall
in Los Angeles. Its predominant feature is the display of the 32’ pedal violone
(narrow rectangular shellacked wood pipes). This remarkable achievement has
been compared to a serving of gigantic French Fries. Here it is

http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/gallery/us_west/california/images/los-angeles_disney-hall_rosales-glatter-gotz_lg.jpg

Ketchup, anyone?
Robert B. Pierce

I’m not much of a fan
of Frank Gehry. Perhaps it’s because I’m a fan of pipe organs, and was shocked
when I first saw a picture of the
façade, designed by Gehry, of the Rosales organ in the Walt Disney Concert Hall
in Los Angeles. Its predominant feature is the display of the 32’ pedal violone
(narrow rectangular shellacked wood pipes). This remarkable achievement has
been compared to a serving of gigantic French Fries. Here it is

http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/gallery/us_west/california/images/los-angeles_disney-hall_rosales-glatter-gotz_lg.jpg

Ketchup?
Rusalka

What do you think about the legacy of buildings, and how people’s aestetic tastes change over time. So many of the modernist buildings from the 1950s,60s and 70s are now considered ugly. Buildings often stand longer than people live. What kind of artistic legacy do you feel like you’re leaving behind? Does it matter what people will think of the buildings in 50 years, or is it good enough that we think they are beautiful right now? What kind of architecture do you think makes us still like it many years into the future?
Kristina S.

I enjoyed the movie Sketches of Frank Gehry by Sydney Pollack which documents the creative process as Gehry developes each design. This film shows that Gehry is an Artist above all else. His designs are inspiring and resonate with the owners and users.

My only constructive comment is that form is valued over function, and necessary elements of building design are not addressed in some designs. I hope that each of Gehry’s clients have shared vision and priority for the design, or at least understand this vision.

His work can be considered Iconic and representative of the modern artisitc design. The future will tell how it stands against the test of time.
Charles A. Bowsher

Please ask Mr. Gehry to whisper in Jeanne Gangs ear that what Lexington, KY needs for the CentrePoint Project she is working on is for the building to be elevated on the “base” of the Eiffel Tower so we preserve the wonderful pedestrian space below. We then cover that space in the special spongy tiles they use at the local horsetrack so the “Plaza” is non-fatiguing, drains easily and captures the spirit of the horse industry. Protecting the “Plaza” for year round use would benefit the community as well as the developer. A win/win Thanks
Anonymous

What is the value of such exuberant displays of individuality and artistic whim and the financial power of the rich and wealthy who can afford such ‘investments’ when the majority of this country and the world is in need of investments in infrastructures and more important things in the built environment??? Why should we care?

Blake

Because without beauty and imagination in Architecture, we are just covering mother nature in junk.

Imagine if the ‘projects’ or the monolithic structures famous in the old USSR had been more inspirational…

The 3rd world needs more shelter, what the worlds 1&2 need is some inspiration.

Anonymous

well, that’s a rather subjective, emotional and vague response.

Ellen Dibble

I think the future will be more urban — per UN statistics and so on. So what happens is many people live in urban housing, and do their stretching out and socializing in public buildings and public spaces. So what are architects doing about that? Housing the masses in very close, environmentally sound, quarters? And what about creating public buildings that are for real utilitarian use? Rather than as tourist attractions… �
I have to think that tourism, such a large portion of, say, Egypt’s GDP, will have to become a thing of the past. It is costly in terms of energy. And tourism is costly for people like Americans who are working harder, with fewer benefits, fewer securities. Maybe Greeks too. Therefore, I envision grand architecture turning toward the utilitarian.

BHA in Vermont

That would suit me, I am a utilitarian kind of guy Doesn’t have to be all ugly box shapes to be functional but these designs are WAY too far out there. Lots of wasted space, inside and out with no functional reason.

http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

What does Gehry have against straight lines?
Greenbfh

Has Frank Gehry ever considered designing low cost housing for Haiti?
http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

The Stata Center in the picture above looks like an acceptance of an air strike.

Ellen Dibble

Ooh, that’s good, Greg. What do you think of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, lower left. I like that one. It reminds me of the quirkiness of Victorian sprawling apartment buildings, where there are nooks and crannies as if the planner were not really planning.

http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

As I recall, the neighbors required it to be scoured to reduce the glare, since they were being roasted.

Ellen Dibble

I can imagine. The neighbors where I live demanded lighting abatement on the far side of the garage, but on my side — I was living where I wouldn’t be affected, but I thought the abatement would apply on all sides. �
On the positive side, there is probably a security advantage to having the wedding cake lit up from within within a stone’s throw, not that this discouraged the drug dealers — even with video cams right there.

BHA in Vermont

Crime would be less if the lights were motion activated. No light pollution and no wasted electricity when there is no one in the garage. Plus the cops can follow criminals as the lights turn on along his/her path.
http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

Or if I put a light on the attachment rail of my Springfield XD.

http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

Regarding the building itself, it looks like Kafka on acid.

http://en-gb.facebook.com/onanov Donald Baxter

Architecture that looks good from a distance, doesn’t seem to work particularly well in practice, and seems daunting and alienating to pedestrians. More buildings that seem to only work well for people in cars. I want to like these a lot more than I seem to be able to–we have this monstrous example in Iowa City of one of these buildings that just ‘kills’ the street on which it sits. Looks great from the other side of the river.
Halle Richardson

Mr. Gehry’s designs have always been very imaginative but his creations with Tiffany and Company inspire me most as a jewelry designer. There is a quote from an interview he did a couple years back, “Designing jewelry is like being in a candy store:
there are so many possibilities I could spend my life coming up with
the stuff” I couldn’t agree more! – Halle Richardsonwww.hallerichardson.comwww.romancingthestones.wordpress.com
Scott Lucas

My favorite structure of Gehry’s was a hay barn, which I saw at a retrospective of his work at MoCA in L.A. It was a beautiful example of form following function and a smart use of a small budget. My least favorite is the Berlin Convention center, which I think wasted way too much money on a complicated and expensive system of casting one-off panels in glass and metal.
Yar

I want to hear from the inside, how do these twisted facades translate into useful and comfortable space on the inside? I have accolades for Gehry’s engineers, they cash the check that his ideas write. Just think if Frank Loyd Wright had access to current technology.
Ellen Dibble

I live across from a parking garage, newish, which I consider visually interesting. The birds love it, and line up on the various walls, or on the pinnacles (lightning rods?). However, at night it is like a sun, shedding enough light to be disastrous across the street. It might look nice, but it is unfriendly.
Anonymous

Curved buildings reduce bird deaths. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/nyregion/making-new-yorks-glass-buildings-safer-for-birds.html?scp=1&sq=birds%20buildings&st=cse
http://profiles.google.com/dshaky1 David Shakespeare

His buildings are notorious for having problems like leaking water, etc.

The future of buildings must be zero net energy. Sure they can be elegant and exciting to look at, but if thay aren’t designed to address the climate crisis, they’re an extravagant waste.
http://twitter.com/en_b ian berry

I saw the Gehry exhibit at the Guggenheim in 2001 and loved all the models and processes. More exhibits please!! Those little models are true works of art and made a real fan.
Ward Cheney

I’m interested in the actual construction and maintenance of these buildings. Are there more problems or fewer in the building process? What about near and long-term maintenance, such as leaks? Is it just me, or do others see these buildings and think ‘drip, drip, drip?’
Ellen Dibble

Is there a link to Gehry jewelry, etc.? His sense of form could be great for — for children’s toys. Think of playing not with nesting boxes or Russian dolls, but Gehry shapes.

Halle Richardson

Here is a link to his designs at Tiffany and Co.

http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Category.aspx?cid=288188&mcat=148206

Ellen Dibble

Interesting. I do think Gehry’s imagination could do more for opening a child’s mind, though. Expanding an earring such as shown doesn’t quite get to what I have in mind. Lincoln logs, those metal erector sets, those were the tools children had for recreating stodgy built reality. Now there are Lego’s, but are there Gehry samples?

Swaroop Fsw

If Frank Gehry could comment on his MIT Stata Center experience.
http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

Are these buildings as determinedly odd on the inside, or do they have normal, functional interiors?

BHA in Vermont

Based on David’s comment about the Princeton library, I would say Yes, No (since you asked 2 questions )

David

I know more about science than architecture, but I do know there is a balance between form & function in each.

Princeton’s new science library, designed by your guest, seems to miss this completely.

For a library, it is neither boxy nor organized. The shape is great for a Sydney opera house but confusing when you’re looking for an organic chemistry textbook … which along with the rest of the books is hidden in the basement because you can’t have a library have such a shape.

David,
Princeton, NJ
http://twitter.com/en_b ian berry

*Note* That was the Guggenheim Museum in New York City- that show with all the Gehry studio’s previs sketches and architectural models that I found so inspiring and had mentioned previously.
Deanne Walz, PE, LEED AP

Would be nice to hear Frank Gehry discuss his thoughts on regenerative design and sustainability. The Gehry buildings are inherently sustainable from a longevity perspective — they are works of art in and of themselves that will endure for generations (I hope). I would like to hear Mr. Gehry discuss his take on designing for the human scale — he already touched on it with his “bay window” commentary.
RobL-VT

RE: The concert hall at Bard.
There are only two small restrooms for the entire building. It is very unpleasant to have to stand in a line during intermissions and very unusual to even have a line outside the men’s room. It is wonderful to see dramatic designs, but not at the expense of basic human needs.
Eddie H. Doss, PE, LEED AP

Does Mr. Gehry consider energy usage in the design? Does he use LEED construction and design considerations? As a mechanical engineer I’ve been forced to design for some really cool (neat) buildings that were real energy hogs, just to save on initial costs.

Michele

Yes, he does. I work for a sustainability consulting firm and we work with Gehry a lot on LEED compliance and energy efficiency.

Paul

What does Frank Gehry think of John Silber’s criticisms of his work as just bold art and not architecture?
Paul Arlington, MA
http://gregorycamp.wordpress.com/ Greg Camp

Isn’t deconstructionist a bad characteristic for an architect? I.e., someone in the construction industry?
H_stoookey

Could Frank Gehry tell us about his BioMuseum design in Panama?
Marty Schulken

Was it difficult to get your early clients to accept your revolutionary design ideas?

Did you have to build your own house in order to show your ideas?
BHA in Vermont

Like Gaudi before him, I doubt Gehry will be a major influencer of future designs. Interesting because they are different, no more.
Euni29

Could you talk about the building in Panama I look forward to seeing it next time I go home
Ellen Dibble

Cult of energy conservation. Gehry is suggesting linking up every gym so that the pedal power goes back into the grid.
Better yet, have those people use that pedal power to come and go from their homes, rather than then getting into a gas-guzzling vehicle to travel someplace.
Notmycupoftea

Here’s an architect who tries so hard to be different, he forgets to be good…
Green Highlander

In the interview, Mr. Gehry sounds so rational and practical, I’m amazed, in seeing pictures of his most famous buildings, how much some of them look like a giant stomped on them!
Dan Cooper

Sometimes an architect – or any other creative professional – is brave enough to make something ‘weird’ because the good, new idea he has won’t fit convention. When the project turns out to be worthwhile, other professionals and consumers err in thinking weird and good are the same thing, and the means become the end. Gehry’s ‘work’ (his firm doesn’t really do the engineering a real architect is responsible for, he’s basically a visual artist) is a joke but it works this far – clients want a building to get attention and put their place or institution ‘on the map’. Gehry does that, so in a way he delivers. Just like Katrina brought a lot of attention to New Orleans. In neither case can one find shelter from the weather or a working bathroom…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1239974134 Peter Potter

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterpotter/5721122152/in/set-72157626597745883/lightbox/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1239974134 Peter Potter

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterpotter/5721122152/in/set-72157626597745883/lightbox/
Anonymous

It’s really fascinating reading the posts of people who actually have to use Gehry’s buildings on a day by day basis and read the complaints on inadequate functions of basic services like library space, and bathroom lines, and road problems. Whereas visitors marvel at how beautiful the buildings appear.

I’ve only read a tiny amount on architecture, but what I have read talks about how form must be subservient to function if there is ever any conflict. From the comments here it seems like function is not even considered!
Gehry’s buildings are striking -good or bad. It would be great if you can have both form AND function, but maybe that’s just too darn hard to do?
Rricefortworth

After looking at the photo gallery, it is evident that Gehry is the Gaudi of our generation. A free spirit in a mostly angular world. Roger Rice
Jeremy

Vincent Callebaut
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brennan-Moriarty/100000655771831 Brennan Moriarty

You’re not a starchitect until you invent the model T of modern vehicular architecture, spaceship aerosmith, a box, with some goodies. a real [life!] estate anchor @sea:disqus of owner-craft , take me there, qualify, classify, unload at the beach and/an amphibious Craft, star-craft? window’s know the door in the dark, this spaceship is going to America! the bicycles and enclosed 2 man motorcycle is lined up [I'm going real fast?]
The architypical 5’6″ and 6’6″ cement shoes paradigm, and NY 14 foot cielings and well, mexico [you should see the building there [good formaldahyde free] 5’9″ doors], like the paradigm of youth [under 5'] and adult [upto 6'10"] and the functional ergonomic-standard dimentional paradigm, -well, 5’8″ no duck…doors [you're lucky / short {poli$}].
only [ALL on] the best land,,,—__=%pop&.*.
Use the Wright materials. “=”
http://VisionQuestPhotography.org Rich VanWart

There’s a much nicer collection of images of Gehry’s remarkable work on photo.net:
http://photo.net/gallery/tag-search/search?query_string=gehryAppreciative photographers do it much better justice!
Cheers!
http://VisionQuestPhotography.org Rich VanWart

Sorry, but something went badly awry with that link to photo.net.
I’ll try it again:
http://photo.net/gallery/tag-search/search?query_string=gehry

I had said that appreciative photographers do better justice to Gehry’s wonderful work.
http://profiles.google.com/dont.trust.government Mr Watchingyou

Smart & Cool Style. Can’t speak to the functionality. And the LA Concert Hall was always fun to climb around. You
could, at one time, walk through the skin outside the building. I don’t
know if you still can. Great views and it made the building feel
accessible to people who would never go inside. However, he
missed a great opportunity to open up the inside to the outside world.
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Jason Williford

Maybe I just appreciate order, but I have never been taken by his work. Its gaudy – history will show this work to age poorly.
Leonard Whitmore

Just as I would say “my kid could do that” about a Pollock (and yes my kid can, don’t be pretentious and defend the untalented) I would say my kid could do that about Gehry. No my kid can’t do the math, but they can draw buildings that are just as, ahem. . . “striking”. Gehry is lucky, like most artist movements the “first to do something” are held up to accolades. Gehry could not be more overrated. function comes before form. “Loose” “free expressive” sketches are the hallmark of the unskilled untalented artist.

Imagine if he were a car designer.
Michael Harden

Jeanne Gang blows Gehry away. Form and function, not sloppy and gloppy.