Opinion | Frank Gehry’s vision for Hong Kong’s arts hub was an opportunity lost
Years after Gehry delivered the Guggenheim Bilbao, one of the world’s most successful museums, his vision for Hong Kong was rejected
I often wonder whether my architectural career peaked in 2006 – not because I had already accomplished a lot or designed my masterpiece – but because that was the year I resigned from Gehry Partners. As exciting as it was to return to Hong Kong, I left the world’s most famous architectural practice wondering if I would ever collaborate on projects as high-profile, emotionally striking and complicated as those I had worked on in my five formative years there.
Hongkongers should be tremendously proud and not just because Opus was built. Gehry’s design partner then was Hong Kong-born Edwin Chan, who worked as Gehry’s lead designer for 25 years, helping to realise iconic works from the Guggenheim Bilbao to the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Chan’s success is a testament to Hong Kong’s ability to produce exceptional talent. The question is whether the city can accommodate out-of-the-box thinking and, accordingly, give its architects room to experiment.
Indeed, Opus and Chan were not Gehry’s only connections to Hong Kong. The luxury residence offered only a glimpse of what he could have built in the city.