The exhibition presents an extensive showcase of Gehry's work. [Provided to China Daily]

Hong Kong

Rebecca Lo eyes an exhibition of the architect's living monuments.

Frank Gehry is originally from Toronto, but he has lived in the Los Angeles area since 1947, where he established his five decade-long career in making remarkable buildings. The 1989 Pritzker Prize winner - architecture's equivalent of the Pulitzer - is perhaps most famous for the undulating titanium skin of his Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

But he is just as adept at domestic architecture. In fact, homes were where he first began experimenting with his now iconic deconstructed forms employing industrial materials. His latest housing showcase is Opus, Swire Properties' exclusive residential apartments on 53 Stubbs Road.

And to mark this monumental occasion, the leading Hong Kong developer has unveiled a retrospective exhibition of the architect's most significant projects that will be on until the end of this month.

Outside the Box: Frank Gehry is the city's first extensive showcase of Gehry's work spread over a nearly 2,000 square meter space. Plenty of attention is devoted to his most celebrated projects, including Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Vila Olimpica Fish Sculpture for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and Hotel Marques de Riscal in El Ciego, Spain.

A special section of the exhibition focuses on houses and shows a collection of residential buildings such as Gehry's home in Venice Beach erected in 1986. The residences form a fitting introduction to Opus, where the architect's thought process behind the design and construction of the luxury property are well-documented through multiple models, studies, sketches and photographs.

The hilly green site on The Peak has belonged to the Swire family since the 1940s, and was formerly the home of Swire's most senior executive. Gehry let the landscape dictate his design, with the final twisting torso form giving each apartment distinct views north towards Victoria Harbor. With only 12 apartments to ensure exclusivity, the dynamic structure seems to spring organically from the mountainside.

"The building designed itself; the site is beautiful," said Gehry from Los Angeles via video link at the opening of the exhibition. "We approached the design of the building to enhance its views. The whole is better than the sum of its parts. Hong Kong is a city that I've come to love and it was a wonderful experience working on the project."

For contemporary lovers of architecture or anyone keen to get a glimpse at how an architectural maestro tackles a project, Outside the Box : Frank Gehry is an exhibition that will leave plenty of room for thought.

You may contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.