Thoughts on: The Tower by Frank Gehry

Lately I have been extremely busy and that is why I have not posted for a while on my blog but I came across “The Tower” by Frank Gehry and I decided that I wanted to give me thoughts on this unique structure. At first glance, The Tower looks like it had popped out from a disco party. The material used and the shiny metal plates make the structure seem almost too futuristic yet it is pleasing to eye. I love how it resembles a pine cone or a palm tree trunk which is extremely rare in architecture and is not used frequently due to its form and how it makes people question the function. This tower is also known as the LUMA Tower. This has created the heart of the new LUMA Arles cultural centre in the south of France and at the same time built the city a location that attracts international attention all over the world. This tower consists four interconnected columns , which stacks up 56 metres above Arles. Gehry played with light and shadow, and also used special material to create satisfactory effects such as the illusion of the ‘movement’ in the structure. The metal shiny blades reflect light like nothing else catches a lot of attention like other works of Frank Gehry. I have even heard that there were a lot of complaints about Gehry’s work due to it causing danger in traffic, while being too shiny. With his play of light and shadow, Frank Gehry creates a reference to art via the architecture, to the work of famous Vincent van Gogh, who was fascinated by the dynamics of the sky and the soft, warm light of Provence. Finally, I really like the way the metal blades curve in harmony and create a satisfying look and when we take a further look we can realize how asymmetrical the blades really are but that is what creates the real aesthetic look. Overall, I think that I really like Frank Gehry’s style overall and he manages to catch my attention with all of his pieces. I can almost feel like I can spot his work whenever I see them because I am so used to his way of using extra shiny and eye-catching materials. Even though the complaints about the danger of traffic might be right, I think his style is so unique and can even elevate a space just buy adding it.