With news that Frank Gehry is among the selected architects to design cultural buildings at Ground Zero, it marks the presence of one of America's foremost architects at one of the most high profile sites, which will make design fiends' mouths water. Gehry did not submit a plan for Ground Zero saying the $40,000 fee wouldn't cover his costs. This made Gothamist think about Gehry's recent post-Bilbao fame, and what that's meant in NYC: His name was mentioned once before for a downtown space, the Guggenheim in the Financial District (a lack of funding and support has stalled that project, or so we think). Looking for a big NYC project, Gehry submitted a design for a new New York Times building, but Renzo Piano got the job. Gehry was commissioned to build Barry Diller's new headquarters for his Internet businesses in West Chelsea, but the big moment was the unveiling of the proposed Brooklyn Nets complex. As for a design for the Joyce Theater, Gothamist's bets are on titanium, or something that looks like it's either been scrunched up or scrunched up then flattened out some. It will be exciting when (and if) the construction at Ground Zero will be done - it'll be the new architectural mecca, with famed and emerging architects showing their stuff.
The NY Times on the announcement and Curbed with the LMDC press release. Learn more about Gehry from this Guggenheim show. And Chicago has lots of Gehry in the heart of the city, with Millennium Park; Chicaogist on Frank Gehry
