May 27, 2005

Celebrity Designers : Brad Pitt Joins Frank Gehry

Last year PSFK talked about the effect the ‘celebrity designer’ was having on fashion. Then we noticed Jade Jagger’s partnership with Yoo, the property developers. Now, we see another example of how celebrities are getting involved in architecture.

Frank Gehry, whose iconoclastic
designs such include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, will be rebuilding a 1930s sports center on England’s south coast with the help from friend, and actor, Brad Pitt.

Gehry unveiled his plans in 2003 to bring to Hove’s seafront four towers (now two) that are supposed
to resemble crumpled Victorian dresses (but described by
one critic as "transvestites caught in a gale"). The development also includes a
£26m sports centre and more than 700 apartments .

Josh Arghiros, chairman and chief executive of Karis, said: "He was there at inception and will be involved all the way. Frank has asked him to take on the design of one of the restaurants
and one of the penthouse flats. Brad is looking for a place to live in
Britain and it may well be that he’ll take one of the flats in
Brighton."

Guardian Article

Article categories: Architecture, Design