Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry

Canada, 1929

Born in Canada, Gehry is a naturalized U.S. citizen. In 1954, he graduated from the University of Southern California and began working full time with Victor Gruen Associates, where he had been apprenticing part-time while still in school. He was admitted to Harvard Graduate School of Design to study urban planning. When he returned to Los Angeles, he rejoined Gruen where he stayed until 1960. After a brief sojourn to Paris, Gehry returned to LA and set up his own firm.

Gehry’s early work used unfinished qualities as a part of the design, incorporating chain link and other common building materials. Gehry’s architecture was known for its reliance on harsh, unfinished materials and its juxtaposition of simple, almost primal, geometric forms. In 1972 he introduced a series of corrugated cardboard furniture under the name Easy Edges. The Easy Edges, and particularly the Wiggle Chair, were extraordinarily sturdy and due to their surface quality, had a noise-reducing effect in a room.

The Easy Edges were a great success and brought Gehry overnight fame as a furniture designer. Gehry created his bentwood furniture collection for Knoll in 1992. Inspired by the surprising strength of a wooden bushel basket, he sought to fully integrate material and design to create a structurally and aesthetically light masterpiece. He has won numerous international awards and prizes, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize for his significant contributions to architecture and the built environment.