Legendary architect Frank Gehry, who died last week at age 96, designed prominent landmarks big and small across the Los Angeles area. From the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown, to the Warner Bros. Second Century complex in Burbank, to the kitschy Binoculars Building in Venice, few architects have put their stamp upon Los Angeles to the extent that the Toronto native has.
Much has been said about Gehry's extensive body of work in his adopted hometown, so instead, we will be taking a look what he and his firm were working on in Los Angeles at the time of his passing, showing that he will continue to shape the region from beyond the grave.
View from Hill Street and 2nd Street intersectionCourtesy of Frank O. Gehry & Gehry Partners, LLP
On track for completion in 2027, the Colburn Center is a $335-million expansion of the Colburn School in Downtown Los Angeles. Located at 2nd and Hill Streets, the center will include a 1,000-seat concert hall, a smaller 100-seat theater, and multiple studios for instruction and rehearsal.
The under construction project may pale in comparison to Gehry's original vision for the campus, but still adds to his list of Bunker Hill landmarks, including Disney Hall and The Grand mixed-use high-rise complex.
Rendering of proposed Louis Vuitton flagship storeGehry Partners, LLP
Earlier this year, Gehry design work was rolled out for LVMH's proposed Louis Vuitton flagship store and museum in Beverly Hills, which would serve as a new northern anchor to Rodeo Drive. Gehry, who previously worked with LVMH on their Louis Vuitton Foundation museum in Paris, cooked up plans for a three-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot structure with metal cladding reminiscent of Disney Hall.
View from Santa Monica Boulevard and 2nd StreetGehry Partners LLP
In Downtown Santa Monica, Worthe Real Estate Group (which also developed the aforementioned Warner Bros. office buildings) tapped Gehry to design the mixed-use Ocean Avenue Project across the street from Palisades Park. The project, which would sit at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, calls for the construction of multiple buildings containing a hotel, mixed-income housing, a museum, street-fronting commercial space, and a rooftop observation deck.
View from Beatrice Ave. looking northwestGehry Partners LLP
Next door to Gehry's offices in Playa Vista, his firm worked with developer NSB Associates on plans for a an eight-story, 196,000-square-foot office building with 3,400 square feet of commercial space. That project, delayed due to a lawsuit by a neighboring property owner, recently completed its re-approval process.
Aerial view of SELA Cultural Center looking southeastGehry Partners LLP
In South Gate, Los Angeles County worked with Gehry to design a new "cultural campus" on a site near the confluence of the L.A. River and the Rio Hondo. The roughly 85,000-square-foot SELA Cultural Center would consist of multiple structures, including a performance hall, a music education space, recording studios, a dance theater, a cafe, workshops, and galleries. Plans also call for a plaza, gardens, and a parking lot.
View of the Headwaters Pavilion looking south from Alabama Avenue and Bassett StreetGehry Partners LLP
The SELA Cultural Center was in part an outgrowth of Gehry's work on the Los Angeles River master plan, which establishes a framework for new parks and activation for the land alongside the 51-mile river. Included in this effort was a kit of parts for new access points and recreation areas, such as the Headwaters Pavilion in Canoga Park. Gehry, who was admittedly not a landscape architect, brought star power to the effort and tapped friend Laurie Olin for an assist.
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