The Architecture That Looks Like Music

Frank Gehry made buildings that sounded as wild as they look. Frank Gehry, who died Friday at the age of 96, may have been the single most important architect in the modern history of classical music. According to the Times, he designed halls and amphitheaters with a maverick's eye and a music lover's ear, insisting his buildings sound as marvelous as they look. He his masterpiece, Walt Disney Concert hall in Los Angeles, featuring sweeping stainless steel sails on the outside. I'll show it to you in just a moment. And on the inside, a warm, almost wraparound intimacy where audiences feel close to the musicians and the towering French Fry shaped organ he designed. Gary worked directly with acoustician Toyota and conductor Solonen, who still uses Disney hall and his acoustic reference point. One of Gary's early triumphs, the Meriwether Post Pavilion, was praised as better than most regulation concert halls. And remarkably, his most famous work, from the Pritzker Pavilion to the New World center, came after age 65, well into his 80s and even 90s. Okay, so what's the real message here? Frank Gehry, well, may go down in history as the greatest architect of our time. In part because he wasn't afraid to do outlandish things. He wasn't afraid to be different. He wasn't afraid to be cold, weird. And because he kept at it day after day, decade after decade, well into his 90s, he created true art, combined it with physical structures and made it something magical. Let's dig a little deeper here and look at his career. I. I've not been to all of his greatest creations, but there are a few that I have been to that I want to share with you that if you ever get a chance, I'd highly recommend them. This is the Walt Disney Concert center in downtown Los Angeles. Had the privilege of going through it too. I didn't get to hear a concert in it, but I did go through it. And it's just awe inspiring. True, it's. It's really amazing in the true sense of the word. You don't feel like you're in a normal office building, that's for sure. You don't feel like you're in a regular public arena coliseum. You're in something special. It's different, it's unique, it's weird. Some people didn't like it initially. A lot of people never like this guy's work initially. But then it grows on. He wasn't afraid to be different. And to me, we can't all be Frank Gehry. Okay? I'm no Frank Gehry. But we can all venture to be different, to do things in a unique way. And maybe we have to do some things in a conventional way just because the client asked for that. But when we get a chance, we can say, I'm going to create something that's not a cookie cutter like everyone else. And he certainly did that. So I would highly recommend, if nothing else, taking a walking tour through this Frank Gehry destination Disney Concert hall in Los Angeles, if you were ever there. The other one I really enjoyed was the Louis Vuitton foundation on the outskirts of Paris. While living in Paris for a month a couple of years ago with my family, we did spend a day out here. And again, it's different, it's unique. It's these giant sail features. You don't know what you're in, but you know you're not in a normal place. You know you're in a place that is devoted to art, artistry, beauty, creating a special feeling. So it was a perfect combination of his artistry and Louis Vuitton. So let's look at some more facts about his life that I think are interesting. He made most of his best work after the age of 65. And I want to stress this. I live here in South Florida where, let's face it, there are a lot of old people. And while I don't consider myself old, I'm constantly answered the question, hey, are you retired? Horrors. Tyco. I just posted the pictures. I hope you saw those. So I did post them, if you're listening on the podcast, apologies, you'll have to Google those. But I did post those when we talked about them. So I find Frank Gehry inspirational because he did most of his best work after the age of 65. I'm hoping to do most of my best work in life after the age of 65. And I'm not there yet. That's several years from now. So I hope that you get to the point where you're doing something in your life. It doesn't even have to be for money, but something where you are creating and you don't want to stop. You're doing it until you're 95 people. Because Frank Lloyd Wright, I believe, lived in his 90s. A lot of the best artists in the world live a long, long time. There's something about the act of creation, the act of positive affirmation from an audience, from customers, clients, the world. Critics somehow breathes life into people, but realize it wasn't always this unanimous praise. Forbes once listed his Seattle Museum as one of the world's 10 ugliest buildings. So there are a lot of his things that initially did not get a lot of praise. One of the memorials he did in D.C. was dismissed as a huge anti climax by some critics. His style is tagged as deconstructionist. A lot of sharp angles, fragmented forms. And I will be transparent with you, I'm not an expert on architecture. I have an appreciation for it and I try to go to interesting buildings that capture my eye but also realize it's not because he necessarily spent the most money on his building. For many years early in his career, he was known for having a cheapskate aesthetic. He used chain link plywood, corrugated metal sometimes. So let's not get into the habit of telling ourselves, well, I love to be creative, but you know, no one's giving me the huge budget. He didn't let that stop him at all. The New World center in Miami, that's another place I have been to. It pairs a refined hall with outdoor wall cast park events. He also has a fantastic 70 some tower building floor tower in Manhattan that has these bizarre wavy twists. If you ever get a chance when you're in New York, please, please check that out. So he also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and at the age of 87. So Frank Gehry, he's going to live on in the hearts and minds of a lot of people who really respect and admire his work. And I think he's an inspiration to all of us. If you're watching this show, I know you're probably already fairly successful, but you're ambitious, you want more. And if you're successful in your 20s, great, 30s, great. But also realize you might not really hit your stride till your 60s, 70s or 80s or even 90s, and that's okay. I don't know Frank Gehry personally, but something tells me he was enjoying life right till the end by being a creative force. And I think that's that is fundamental to really living life at the highest level.