On July 25, 2026, the late Frank Gehry’s (1929-2025) Icehenge desk went to auction at Freeman’s Auction in Chicago. Selling for $243,200 to an unknown buyer, the desk exceeded the estimate of $100,000–$200,000. The desk broke the record as the highest paid for a work of design by Gehry. In a public statement, Freeman' department head of design Roger Ward said: “The buyer is also dedicated to maintaining public access to Icehenge and is considering a temporary loan to a suitable museum or institution. Currently, no specific plans have been finalized.”
The desk, formerly used as a reception desk at Chicago’s Inland Steel Building, is a design juggernaut consisting of 16-pieces and weighing 15,000 pounds. Per the auction house, the buyer will also be responsible for removing and replacing the walls of the Inland Steel Building in order to extract the desk from the lobby due to its size.
Gehry’s Icehenge was, according to the auction house, inspired by a loose piece of glass he encountered while working on another project. The rogue piece must have made quite the impression. The Inland Steel Building had amazed a young Gehry in the 1950s, and when Gehry acquired shares in the building in the 2000s, he designed the Icehenge desk for its lobby. John Lewis Glass Studio in Oakland, California, brought Gehry’s vision to life in 2012; the desk was installed in 2013.
The desk has a pale green tint, jagged edges, and air bubbles suspended within the glass. This look was achieved through cast molten glass and results in an almost aqueous appearance. Due to the material and method, it appears to glow depending on the light. More than just a reception desk, Icehenge is a stunning sculptural work by Gehry.