Frank Gehry: Aydinlanmalar Conference in Istanbul

Istanbul Association of Independent Architects holds a conference in memory of Frank Gehry on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at the Sedad Hakki Eldem Auditorium of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, as part of its Architecture Week. Edwin Chan, Lyndel King and Thomas Mayer speak, and the event is open to everyone.

As part of Architecture Week, İstanbulSMD is organizing a conference to honor architect Frank Gehry on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the MSGSÜ Sedad Hakkı Eldem Auditorium.

Since its inception, İstanbulSMD has been dedicated to contributing to architecture in various fields. This year, on October 6, 2026, the organization will hold a conference to commemorate the world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, who passed away last year.

The event will take place at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Sedad Hakkı Eldem Auditorium, and is open to all interested participants.

The purpose of the event is to bring together the architectural community and students with esteemed colleagues recognized globally in the field, fostering new horizons and perspectives. The conference aims to explore various aspects of Frank Gehry’s work, enhancing the understanding and communication of his valuable legacy and insights within the architectural world. Additionally, it seeks to create an environment that encourages knowledge and experience sharing, facilitating new communication and collaboration opportunities among valuable association members, members of the Federation of Free Architects, academics in the field of architecture, representatives from active firms, business people, and architecture enthusiasts in Istanbul.

Speakers

• Edwin Chan: Former Partner at Gehry Partners, he completed his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design and his master’s at Harvard Graduate School of Design. From 1986 to 2012, he served as Design Partner at Gehry Partners in Los Angeles, playing a significant role in shaping the design vision of the firm’s prominent projects in Hong Kong, Basel, and Denmark. His expertise in designing cultural buildings peaked with the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Currently, he leads interdisciplinary teams of over 100 architects and consultants at EC3, managing design, coordination, and implementation processes for more than 3 million ft² (approximately 280,000 m²) of construction across four continents.
• Lyndel King: Former Director of the Weisman Art Museum, she directed and served as chief curator for 40 years at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum in the USA. During the design and construction of the museum’s current building, she collaborated with Frank Gehry to design its transformation. She has also served on numerous boards of foundations and museums both nationally and internationally, providing consultancy.
• Thomas Mayer: An architectural photographer working as a freelancer in Germany since 1969. He documented the entire development process of the Neue Zollhof project in Düsseldorf from the competition stage to completion between 1989 and 1999, becoming a recognized figure in architectural photography through the publication of these images worldwide. This photo series has also paved the way for long-term collaborations with many architects, including Frank Gehry. Mayer is recognized among the World’s Top 13 Architectural Photographers and has an archive of over 100,000 photographs, defining his work as “photography that approaches design and life within design in a journalistic manner, akin to interviews.”

The event will be moderated by Architect Esra Aydınoğlu, founder of Solo Design and Consultancy, who continues her work in passive building design, sustainable architecture, and energy efficiency. She is also developing a framework aimed at the Turkish housing sector based on universal design principles and environmental and social sustainability, addressing the changing demographic structure.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Edwin Chan will meet with students at Auraİstanbul as part of the event.