09.12.25 - In Memoriam: Frank Gehry (1929-2025)
Image: Architect and inaugural Gehry Chairholder Daniel Libeskind (far left) seated next to guest critic Frank Gehry, Larry W. Richards, then dean of the Faculty, and (seated, far right) artist and Professor An Te Liu, during 2003 studio reviews.
The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design is saddened by the passing of Toronto-born architect, Frank Gehry (Hon LLD 1998) on Dec. 5. He was 96 years old.
The renowned Canadian-American architect was a key figure in the history of 20th and 21st century architecture.
"Few architects have invented so many ways of thinking about and making architecture," says Robert Levit, acting dean of the Faculty. "From the bricolage of his own house in Santa Monica, a constellation of buildings in Venice, CA, to his Ron Davis inspired play with perspective, or his cubic assemblages, and later, the curvaceous inventions of the last few decades—most famously in his Guggenheim Bilbao and the Disney Concert Hall, and, for us here in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario."
"The AGO addition turned accessibility into the highest architectural art in its lobby ramp, and in its iconic glue-lam, 'hockey mask' shaped Galleria Italia, but also in the refiguration of tall buildings in New York City and in proposed works for Toronto."
Levit says the evolution of Gehry’s work drew upon his relationship with artists, but also the incorporation of new technologies—both digital and material. Gehry’s work figured in so many entirely unique idioms of architecture, and in so doing, invented many new worlds.
The Daniels Faculty is the the first and only architectural school to have a named chair in Gehry’s honour: the Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design. Each year, a leading international architect joins the Faculty to teach, give a public lecture, and showcase their work.
The role was established in November 2000 with a lead gift from Indigo Books & Music founder and CEO, Heather Reisman, and contributions from 45 donors whose benefaction was matched by the University of Toronto to create a multimillion-dollar endowment. Alumnus Bruce Kuwabara, founding partner of KPMB Architects, was instrumental in helping steward the chair as a working group member, alongside then dean, Larry Richards.
Since its establishment 25 years ago, more than 20 international architects have held the appointment at the Daniels Faculty.
- Daniel Libeskind (2002-03)
- Preston Scott Cohen (2003-04)
- Merrill Elam (2004-05)
- Diane Lewis (2005-06)
- Will Bruder (2006-07)
- Jürgen Mayer H (2007-08)
- Wes Jones (2008-09)
- Mitchell Joachim (2009-10)
- Nader Tehrani (2010-2011)
- Hrvoje Njiric (2011-2012)
- Josemaría de Churtichaga (2013-2014)
- Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee (2016-2017)
- Amale Andraos and Dan Wood (2017-2018)
- Aljoša Dekleva and Tina Gregorič (2019-2020)
- Douglas Cardinal (2020-21)
- Lina Ghotmeh (2021-22)
- Marina Tabassum (2022-23)
- Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg (2023-24)
- Yusuke Obuchi (2025-26)
“We are proud to have been able to recognize Frank Gehry during his lifetime with the International Visiting Chair,” adds Levit. “His ability to harness invention to needs, to create such imaginative buildings in the service of institutions, publics, people the world over is something that we will always remember."
Gehry received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto in 1998.
Image: University of Toronto/UTARMS