WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

LOS ANGELES

FRANK GEHRY
FRANK GEHRY
Frank Owen Gehry is a Canadian-born American architect,
residing in Los Angeles.

His use of corrugated steel, chain link fencing, unpainted plywood

and other utilitarian or "everyday" materials was partly inspired by
spending Saturday mornings at his grandfather's hardware store.
He would spend time drawing with his father, while his mother
introduced him to the world of art.

It was his private residence in Santa Monica, California, that

jump-started his career. Gehry's best-known works include the
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Walt Disney Concert Hall
in downtown Los Angeles; Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris,
France.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
Much of Gehry's work reflects a spirit of experimentation coupled with a respect for the
demands of professional practice. Though Gehrys works were mainly in the modernist style
early in his career, much of Gehry's later work is not confined to any specific movement or
style.

Although Frank Gehry does not personally associate with the movement, critics
primarily consider his design philosophy to be deconstructivism, an approach
characterized by fragmentation and distortions of traditional structure.

Gehrys work is recognizable through his use of asymmetry, exaggerated proportions and
unconventional materials. His designs have influence throughout architecture, interior
design, art and fashion.
 PHILOSOPHY

1. Purpose Before Presentation

Gehry works from the inside outwards, looking at the purpose of the structure before it's
presentation.

2. Explore and Iterate

Gehry had a vision for the feeling he hoped to evoke and then iterated again and again to
make his material work.

3. Shape and Movement

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OTHER WORKS

Dancing House, Prague Gehry Tower, Germany Guggenheim Museum, Spain

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Walt Disney Concert Hall was built in Los
Angeles. The building was designed by Frank
Gehry in Deconstructivism style. The project
was launched in 1987, when Lillian Disney,
widow of Walt Disney, donated $50 million.
Frank Gehry delivered completed designs in
1991.The construction began in 1991 and
was completed in 2003.

It seats close to 2500 people.

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 INTERIORS
The concert hall was designed as a single volume.

Seats are located on each side of the stage.

Curvilinear planes of Douglas fir provide the only
partitions, delineating portions of the audience
without creating visual obstructions. The steel roof
structure spans the entire space, eliminating the
need for interior columns.

Gehry worked with an acoustical consultant, to

hone the halls sound through spatial and material
means. The concert hall's curved partitions ceiling
act as part of the acoustical system.
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 EXTERIORS
The exterior is a composition of undulating
and angled forms, symbolizing musical
movement and the motion of Los Angeles.
The design developed through paper models
and sketches. Visitors get glimpses of the
steel frame as they move through the
structure.

The reflective, stainless steel surface engages

light as an architectural medium.

Glass fissures in the facade bring light into

the building.
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Originally Gehry intended to build the
structure with stone but later decided
to use steel as it was more suitable for
the structure.

To create the complex exteriors, Gehry

used the CATIA software which
helped make construction easier.

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INITIAL SKETCHES
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS