Panama's Biomuseum Mourns Death of Architect Frank Gehry

The Biomuseo in Panama has expressed "deep regret" over the death of renowned architect Frank Gehry at the age of 96 in California (USA). The museum, which was designed by Gehry, stated that his "legacy will live on forever in every curve and color of his Panamanian masterpiece, which is part of everyone's heritage." According to the museum, the architect felt "deep ties" with Panama and its people and "firmly believed that we should all try to conserve biodiversity, which is being threatened worldwide." The Biomuseo, the world's first biodiversity museum and the first in Latin America signed by Frank Gehry, began construction in 2004 with the support of the government, the private sector, and scientific research organizations. It was inaugurated on September 30, 2014. The museum, located at the entrance to the Pacific side of the canal, is striking at first glance for its exterior of brightly painted aluminum panels in reds, blues, greens, yellows, and oranges, while its interior contains eight permanent exhibition galleries in sequence with information about the natural history of the isthmus and its biodiversity. Dr. Rodrigo Einsemann, a long-time member of the Biomuseum's board of directors, told EFE on Friday that Gehry was "like a member of our family." The museum also noted that Gehry was "not only the designer of the Biomuseum at our request, but also part of our family." "For me and my entire family, and for all of us involved with the Biomuseo, it has been a source of great sadness," the statement read. The heart of the design for the Biomuseo is the open-air public atrium, covered by a dynamic set of metal canopies of various shapes and vibrant colors: blue, red, yellow, and green. The canopies allude to the architecture of the canal area with zinc roofs and colorful buildings, evoke the neotropical habitat of Panama, and offer protection against the frequent wind-driven rains.