Yesterday, the world of architecture lost one of its most fearless visionaries. Frank Gehry, at 96, left us after a lifetime spent reshaping not only skylines, but the very expectations of what architecture could dare to be. His passing feels like the moment an era quietly closes, an era defined by courage, rebellion, and a relentless pursuit of emotional impact through form.
Gehry never designed for trends or comfort zones. He designed to provoke, to bend light, to push steel and titanium into movements that felt almost musical. Whether one stood before the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, or even his early cardboard furniture, the experience was the same: a confrontation with possibility.
What made Gehry extraordinary was not only the sculptural bravado of his work, but the sincerity behind it. He was never chasing spectacle for the sake of spectacle. He was chasing honesty, trying to capture the energy of life, the irregularity of human experience, the unpredictability of cities. In a profession often consumed by rules and perfection, Gehry embraced the crooked, the intuitive, the spontaneous. He allowed buildings to breathe. 
As someone deeply connected to the world of design, I feel his loss on a personal level. Gehry’s influence travelled far beyond architecture. He taught designers across disciplines, including lighting, product, and interior, that creativity begins where fear ends. He reminded us that beauty does not need to be polite. It needs to be true.
Today, the design community reflects not only on his structures, but on the courage he gifted us. Gehry leaves behind a legacy impossible to imitate, yet endlessly inspiring. His buildings will continue to stand as reminders that innovation is an act of defiance, and that design at its best is a dialogue between ambition and emotion.
May his spirit continue to shape the dreams of the generations who build after him.
—Nima Bavardi, Founder of Designooor
