Frank Gehry’s major European retrospective opens at the Centre Pompidou in Paris

The work of Frank Gehry has revolutionised the way we see architecture, and a big, comprehensive retrospective of his work in Europe has been long overdue. The architect's portfolio, including iconic projects such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (1997) and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (2003), features widely recognised landmarks in architectural history.
So, the exhibition that just opened at the Centre Pompidou in Paris will be a welcome chance for professionals and architecture aficionados alike, to dip into the considerable body of the master's oeuvre. An earlier show around the architect's work in 1992 - also at the Pompidou - offered a taster of what was to come, however this exhibition aims to be bolder and bigger, 'a global survey of his work'.
A staggering 225 drawings, 67 models and supporting material and a total of 60 major projects will be on display to present a detailed portrait of the architect's career, since he first started his office in Los Angeles in the early 1960s.
Key projects such as his own world-famous house in Santa Monica, the Vitra Design Museum in Germany and 8 Spruce Street in New York will take the visitor to a journey that describes the development of the architect's design language throughout the decades. The show also revolves around two main themes: urbanism and the development of new systems of digital design and fabrication.
The show opens at a key time for the office - Gehry's Museum of Biodiversity in Panama is also inaugurated this October and his Fondation Luma in Arles is currently on site, while the first ever permanent Gehry building in England has been announced recently as part of the Battersea Power Station development. At the same time, his seminal Louis Vuitton Foundation is also due to launch later this month. Watch this space.
The show comprises a staggering 225 drawings, 67 models and supporting material, presenting a detailed portrait of the architect's career since he set up his office in the early 1960s. Photography: Philippe Migeat, Centre Pompidou.
The Museum of Biodiversity in Panama - seen in construction - is also opening this month. Photography: Gehry Partners LLP.
The Hotel Marques de Riscal,1999-2006, is situtated in Spain. Photography: Thomas Meyer.
Chiat/Day office building, California, 1985-1991. Photography: Grant Mudford.
One of New York's most iconic towers, 8 Spruce Street, 2003-2011. Photography: Gehry Partners.
The Cleveland Clinic at Las Vegas' Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 2005-2010, is also in Gehry's portfolio.
The DZ bank building, Berlin, 1995-2001. Photography: Roland Halbe.
Another of Gehry's key projects is the Frederick R Weisman Art and Teaching Museum in Minneapolis, 1990-2011. Photography: Don F Wong.
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, 1997, is one of the architect's most well-known projects. Photography: Philippe Migeat.
Another iconic project by Frank Gehry is the Nationale-Nederlanden Building (1992-1996) in Prague. Photography: Gehry Partners LLP.
An icon of the Los Angeles skyline, the Walt Disney Concert Hall (1987-2003) is part of Frank Gehry's portfolio too. Photography: Gehry Partners LLP.
ADDRESS
Centre Pompidou
Place Georges-Pompidou
75004 Paris, France
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 shows
The Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to know
Designing the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spot
Heritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
The museum of the future: how architects are redefining cultural landmarks
What does the museum of the future look like? As art evolves, so do the spaces that house it – pushing architects to rethink form and function
-
A new era: Centre Pompidou architects discuss their bold 2030 plans
Plans for the Centre Pompidou 2030 vision were recently announced, revealing a design refresh of the iconic Paris structure; we caught up with its lead architects Moreau Kusunoki to hear more
-
A guide to Frank Gehry's architecture: mesmerising, expressive and sometimes controversial
Canadian-American Frank Gehry has earned his position in the hall of fame of contemporary architects through a wealth of groundbreaking designs; here, we explore why, how, and his key buildings
-
Ultimate Norman Foster: into the mind of the architect at Centre Pompidou
Norman Foster exhibition opens at Centre Pompidou in Paris, celebrating the renowned British architect's ground breaking and extensive body of work, while looking into the future
-
Frank Gehry’s first UK residential project opens at Battersea Power Station
As Prospect Place at Battersea Power Station opens its doors, we discover the design by Gehry Partners
-
Frank Gehry's twisting tower opens in Arles
With references from Van Gogh to craggy rock outcrops, Frank Gehry's latest geometric wonder for Luma Arles campus cuts a futuristic form against the historic Arles skyline
-
The buildings adding a new dimension to Miami’s skyline
As the Florida city’s architecture boom continues apace, here’s what’s next
-
David Chipperfield Architects launches Shanghai's West Bund Museum
The Pompidou Centre opens its first overseas outpost at Shanghai's West Bund Museum, a redesign of three connecting volumes decked in opalescent recycled glass by David Chipperfield Architects