Concert hall plan continues despite Gehry's death

Plans for a new international concert hall in Wimbledon remain on track, despite the death of its celebrated lead architect.

Frank Gehry, who was renowned for his striking avant-garde creations, died last month at the age of 96.

The Wimbledon Concert Hall Trust and Merton Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that they were committed to continuing Gehry's vision for the project.

Andrew Judge, the council's cabinet member for housing and development, said the council was "privileged" to have collaborated with the architect, adding the plans would move ahead with the support of Gehry's creative team.

Proposals for the state-of-the-art concert hall in Wimbledon were unveiled in 2019.

Merton Council agreed an exclusivity period with the Wimbledon Concert Hall Trust to develop the venue on the council-owned Hartfield Road car park.

The proposed 1,500 seat venue will also host jazz and rock concerts and will include a roof garden and spaces for community arts initiatives.

The venue will be funded with private investment, with naming rights available to major benefactors.

Wimbledon was chosen for its transport links, global name recognition from the tennis championships, and its existing cultural scene.

Anthony Wilkinson, who chairs the project and is also the founder of the Wimbledon International Festival, said the project could help Wimbledon grow into a cultural quarter for south west London and beyond.

Local conservation group The Wimbledon Society also hopes the venue will boost the borough's cultural standing and increase town centre footfall.

Gehry's titanium-covered design of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, catapulted him to fame in 1997.

He previously told Wimbledon Time and Leisure Magazine that he believed the Wimbledon concert hall would be "a knockout".

"Concert hall projects are the most exciting for me. I love the people, I love the challenge of it.

"I love music more almost than life itself. Having someone come to me with a concert hall project, my eyes light up. I'm in!"

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