Frank Gehry's Icehenge Desk Sells for $243,200, Sets Auction Record

At Freeman's in Chicago, a reception desk named Icehenge, crafted by Frank Gehry, fetched an impressive $243,200, exceeding its top estimate of $20,000 by over tenfold. This seven-ton, 16-piece glass artwork was designed for the lobby of the Inland Steel Building, which Gehry renovated after investing in the skyscraper in 2005. Made by John Lewis Glass Studio, the installation consists of rough-cut glass blocks featuring internal bubbles and distortions, with two large slabs serving as work surfaces amidst standing forms and columns. The green tint reflects the building's windows, inspired by a single glass fragment. The purchaser intends to keep it accessible to the public and may loan it to a museum. Icehenge has now surpassed Gehry's previous auction record set by a Fish Lamp, which sold for $239,400 at Phillips New York in 2021. His highest auction price remains the Winton Guest House, which sold for $905,000 in 2015.