Martin B. Gelber FAIA

1936 - 2019

December 19, 1936 - December 2, 2019 Martin B. Gelber, an award-winning Architect, Professor, and life-long resident of Los Angeles, passed away December 2, 2019, two weeks shy of his 83rd birthday. Although he had endured a series of debilitating illnesses in his last years, ultimately the recent Getty Fire precipitated his death. He and his wife, Michela, evacuated their beloved home in the middle of the night-a residence he designed, built, and dwelled in for over 40 years. He never regained his equilibrium, succumbing to pneumonia at Cedars Sinai soon after. Martin dedicated much of his long career engaged in important educational and community endeavors, all in service to architecture. He was a much-loved and revered Professor at Los Angeles Pierce College for over 40 years. There, he was instrumental in developing one of the first accredited programs allowing community college architecture students to transfer to a 4-year university and obtain a Bachelor of Architecture degree. As affirmed by a former student, "I never thought I could have achieved such success - if it weren't for him... Mr. Gelber was the single most influential person in my academic life... (He will) remain in my heart for life." Martin also served as a Visiting Professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California School of Architecture. In 2013, the school honored him as the Architectural Guild Distinguished Alum. Ultimately, Martin was a practitioner who designed many custom residential homes and commercial buildings throughout the Los Angeles area, including exceptional, award-winning works of modern architecture. He completed a variety of projects over a long career, from historic restorations to campus planning. In recognition of his achievements, in 1996, Martin was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. The late Ray Kappe FAIA stated, "He did really beautiful work... a person who DID things... not overtly ambitious but the person in the back who did A LOT OF the work." Martin was a persistently strong advocate for the historic preservation of various Los Angeles landmarks by highlighting their design significance. His major concern was the loss of institutional memory, and among many efforts, he helped establish Heritage Square. He was passionate about teaching people about the role of architecture, the environment, and preservation in their personal lives. Early on, decades before Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED), Martin curated the 1964 exhibition, Project Environment USA, to build awareness among interior designers, artists, landscape architects, and the public of the impact of architecture on our environment. In 1984, Martin was elected President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. As the city hosted the Olympic Games that year, he launched the design exhibition, 84 in '84, to recognize eighty-four esteemed Los Angeles architects. This represented the union of performance between athletics and design by celebrating excellence in two challenging human endeavors. Continuing his civic service, Martin worked with the late Bernard Zimmerman to help shape an architecture lecture series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) that became the AIA|LA Masters of Architecture lecture series (1999). By inviting established architects to speak about their work, they furthered knowledge about design and architecture with open events to the public. After retiring from his career as an educator, Martin continued to design and practice architecture. He and his wife enjoyed retreats to their Sea Ranch home, and travels to significant architectural sites across the globe. A social spirit with a passion for cooking and hosting dinner parties, Martin maintained connections to his many friends, former students and clients for life. Martin is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 50 years, Michela Gunn, M.D., a practicing psychiatrist and former Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the USC Keck School of Medicine. A Celebration of Life for Martin is planned for later this year to pay tribute to this talented visionary, whose life touched many hearts, changed lives, and improved our built environment in countless ways.