Design Debate

So sad to hear of Frank Gehry's passing, but at 96, he has left us quite a legacy behind. Perhaps best know for the otherworldly Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. A building that totally transforms as the light changes, warmly undulating as well as shear and metallic. The Guggenheim was pretty revolutionary in 1997 when it opened, heralding a new era in computer-led design. It transformed the northern Spanish town into a tourist destination, adding $400m to the city's coppers. Of course not everyone's cup of tea, this was architecture that shouted, perhaps a little louder than the works it housed. But you can't deny the impact Gehry's style had on the architecture scene. Born in Canada to Jewish immigrant parents, he changed his name to try and avoid the anti-semitism he had witnessed, however his roots where a strong part of his identity. He moved to LA, first working as a lorry driver before exploring building design. Gehry worked under Victor Gruen, the inventor of th...