Famous architect Frank Gehry, mind behind Biloxi’s Ohr O

Frank O. Gehry, known internationally for his architectural prowess but more locally for his work in bringing the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s Ohr O-Keefe Museum of Art to life, passed away Friday. He was 96.

Gehry died in his home in Santa Monica, Calif., after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.

Considered a titan of the industry and arguably the best architect of his time, Gehry created distinctive, striking buildings that oftentimes seemed to defy gravity with swirling shapes that had never been mastered as such. Some link his style to deconstructivism – using aerospace software to achieve complex geometries by blending textures that often appeared unfinished in playful and graceful formations.

Gehry’s work includes the Guggenheim Museu