7.09.2008

Frank Gehry: Trick Me At Least


I read both of these articles and in watching the clips, I wasn't convinced that he had any idea what he was doing in the design process. Frank Gehry is mostly known for his work on the Guggenheim Museum in Spain as well as his Walt Disney Concert Hall here in Los Angeles, but the Serpentine Pavilion in England may be his last work in the country. He states that people know him in the country, but they just don't like him as an architect. 

First of all, Gehry needed to build this for a little more than a dry climate. It rains in England. People don't like to walk in the rain. Cover your structure a little better, or at least have an idea as to where the water will run off. Secondly, stick to what you know works. The self proclaimed concept of "fish" isn't evident in this project whatsoever. Lastly, try to come up with a better concept than the gardens. I understand how you can build to the surroundings, and try to abstract them as a whole, but I would have tried to make it a little more of a priority in the initial phases of design. 

Gehry presents his project as if it were completely foreign to him. It seems as though he picked up some bass wood, threw it on the ground, then said, team, do something with that. Or maybe he was playing with some Jenga with his associates and said, wow guys, that DOES look cool... pass it on to the next guy. 

Just not convincing enough. 

n.tm

1 comment:

bme said...

This guy's an old fool. I agree with you.

nicholas john ter meer

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Boston, MA, United States
I am from southern California, but for now I live and go to school in Boston, MA where I study architecture at one of the finest institutions that our country has to offer (www.wit.edu/arch).