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Rem Koolhaas Reflects on Frank Gehry's Architectural Legacy and Their Shared History

artist · 2026-03-26

Architect Rem Koolhaas shares personal reflections on the late Frank Gehry, recalling their first meeting in the late 1970s in Santa Monica and their inclusion in the 1988 MoMA exhibition 'Deconstructivist Architecture' curated by Philip Johnson. Koolhaas describes Gehry as a unique figure who defined new architectural possibilities, noting his innovative use of CATIA software in projects like the Guggenheim Bilbao and Walt Disney Concert Hall. He discusses their professional relationship, mutual respect, and even a potential collaboration involving multiple prominent architecture firms. The remembrance was published in Artforum.

Key facts

  • Rem Koolhaas wrote a remembrance of Frank Gehry
  • Koolhaas and Gehry first met in the late 1970s in Santa Monica
  • Both architects were featured in MoMA's 1988 'Deconstructivist Architecture' exhibition
  • Gehry pioneered the use of CATIA software in architecture
  • Koolhaas considers Walt Disney Concert Hall Gehry's greatest achievement

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • Paris
  • Santa Monica
  • New York
  • Bilbao
  • Rome

Sources