The Getty Celebrates Gehry

Modeling Sound and Sculpting Harmony are the pieces in the two-part exhibition that “celebrates the design and realization of this iconic landmark of Los Angeles art and architecture and offers a momentous public debut of the Frank O. Gehry papers held at the Getty Research Institute,” per a press release from the Getty.

Modeling Sound is on display within the actual Walt Disney Concert Hall (October 5 – 29, 2023), presenting six architectural models from the archive that was acquired in 2017. Known as “The Frank Gehry Papers,” the extensive archive spans from 1954 to 1988: the first year is when Gehry graduated from the University of Southern California and the second year coincides with his firm's competition entry for the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Although it was completed after the more famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the billowing metallic form of the concert hall predates the Spanish museum and is therefore a major part of Gehry's evolving career.

Most people will not have the chance to see Modeling Sound over the next few weeks, so Sculpting Harmony, the digital component of the two-part exhibition, is where they can gain “a captivating glimpse into the immense work that went into design of the Walt Disney Concert Hall,” in the Getty's words. Featuring more than 150 models, sketches, and photographs from the Gehry archive, the Sculpting Harmony website is augmented by interviews with Gehry, footage from performances, and a soundtrack of music one would hear in the concert hall, among other things. The interactive features in the online exhibition are exceptional; being able to tilt and pan within and around Gehry's study models and click on hotspots to see documentation of particular design elements greatly helps in learning more about the architect's design process. The online exhibition is well worth a visit.