Inspired by post-impressionist Painter Vincent Van Gogh, Frank Gehry does It again – Luma Arles

Luma Arles is an arts center in Arles, France, featuring a 161,000 square foot tower building designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry for the LUMA Foundation (which is dedicated to supporting contemporary artistic creation). Completed in 2021, it is built on the Parc des Ateliers, a former railway wasteland (now a campus) covering an area of 27 acres. On the site, The Tower has 12 levels and is the tallest building in Arles). It was designed by Gehry and seven old factories (now renovated) from the 19th-century industrial heritage dwell in perfect harmony and are now used for different purposes such as exhibitions, presentations, and artists’ residences.

Gehry took some of his inspiration from the post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, who lived there in 1888 and 1889 and produced over 300 paintings and drawings in that time (most notably Starry Night). The skin of the building features 11,000 angled reflective stainless steel panels, which give the Tower a twisted, crumpled appearance.