One of Frank Gehrys most uniqueand unknownprojects is under immediate threat in Los Angeles. New York Bagel Co., a 1990 eatery inside a Brentwood strip mall called Town & Country, features classic Gehry touches like shifting surfaces of laminated plywood, sheet metal, and concrete. Its signature is a 30-foot-long, galvanized steel model of the Chrysler Building that appears to be crashing through the ceiling. The restaurants owners said the landlord, Los Angelesbased Anderson Real Estate, have refused to renew its lease, so they must vacate the premises by the end of the month. They will start moving out on December 16. They didnt ask us if we could pay more rent, Patra Kittichanthira, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Ted Cichowski, told AN. We told them we would do whatever it would take to stay. They just wanted something else. New York Bagels lease ended this summer, added Kittichanthira and Cichowski, and in October they received a notice to vacate by the end of this month. Asked if they think the landlord knew the store was designed by Gehry, Kittichanthira said, I dont know if they know, and I dont think they care.Efforts to reach Anderson Real Estate have thus far been unsuccessful.Frank Gehrys napkin sketch of New York Bagel Co. (Courtesy Patra Kittichanthira and Ted Cichowski)The couple bought the eatery in 2003 from its original owner, the famously curmudgeonly David Rosen, who was a good friend of Gehrys. The architect originally sketched the design for him on a napkin. More of the shops unique details incorporate classic deli elements into Gehrys ebullient, not-so-precious vernacular: Theres a subtle pop-out of the dining space, which extends the interior toward the parking lot; long raised mirrors to help reflect the Chrysler Building model; a 12-foot-wide galvanized steel wall cut with the words New York in glass on both sides; mixed-material parquet flooring; red banquette seating edged in laminated plywood; a vintage New York stainless steel counter; and slightly overlapped earthquake tiles that evoke, like much of Gehrys work, fish scales. When it first opened, the restaurant appeared on the cover of Interior Design magazine, and was featured in the Los Angeles Times under the headline Frank Gehry Designs for Bagels. The owners have made small changes, like replacing a sit-down counter near the entry, but most of the original design remains intact.When it first opened, the restaurant appeared on the cover of Interior Design magazine. (Courtesy George Smart)This is an important place in terms of talking about Frank Gehry and his connection between art and architecture, said Adrian Scott Fine, president of the Los Angeles Conservancy, the citys major preservation advocacy group. Its using art to evoke an architectural icon in a very creative wayyoure experiencing a little bit of New York. It tells a very interesting story about what was happening then. Fine added that while interiors can be protected in the city, the process of doing so would most likely take too long to be completed in time for the landlords deadline. Any possible halt, he added, would have to originate from the local city council office; the area is represented by councilmember Traci Park.There is no culture of how to protect these kinds of spaces that are not monumental, noted Maristella Casciato, curator of architecture at the Getty Research Institute, which acquired Gehrys archive in 2017. They present important components of the culture of the city. When they disappear, the whole spirit disappears. She called the project a work of love, wondering at Gehrys attention to details that you dont expect, and the many variations on how to use and maximize this tiny little space. She added: Its creative invention for something that could otherwise be considered very banal He had this three-dimensional idea of how to make the space more attractive.A model of the Chrysler Building lies horizontally across the ceiling in the shop. (Gil Garcetti)Architect Kevin Daly, who in 1990 was working at Gehrys firm, said he carried out most of the technical drawings along with longtime Gehry partner Greg Walsh. Fabrication of the stores elements, including the riveted Chrysler model, was performed by longtime firm collaborator Tomas Osinski. It had an improvisational character and informality and personal connection that is hard to achieve in buildings right now, said Daly. It points to Franks creative intensity. There was an immediacy and clarity to what he wanted to achieve.Over the years the restaurant has built a loyal following that includes stars like Adam Sandler, Benicio Del Toro, L.A. Laker legend Norm Nixon, and Gehry himself, who, at 95 has been ordering takeout a lot lately, the owners said. On a wall just inside the entryway the owners have posted large sheets of paper for customers to leave their emails. So far theyve had to add three sheets. Theres a level of comfort. You know the food is going to be outstanding and the atmosphere is going to be extra friendly, said Gil Garcetti, another regular who was, famously, the district attorney during the O.J. Simpson trial. (His son Eric is the former mayor of L.A.) A patron for the last 30 years, Garcetti was in the restaurant taking pictures of the space. The first few times I went into it I didnt even notice what was above me, said Garcetti, who didnt find out it was a Frank Gehry design until years later. Once I saw it, I remember sitting down and saying this is very, very cool. I appreciated the artwork and the willingness of the owner to do it.New York Bagel Co.s home, Brentwood Town & Country, is a red-tiled, rural-themed strip mall on Brentwoods busy San Vincente Boulevard; its stucco and cinder-block core is dressed in places with dark timber cladding. It has been renting to increasingly high-end tenants in recent years, such as the restaurants Sugarfish and A.O.C. Its safe to say most visitors have no idea that Gehry designed the corner bagel shop here. A recent story in the Santa Monica Mirror about New York Bagels closing listed the architect as Fred Gehry.The owners said Gehry, has offered to store the contents of the restaurant in one of his warehouses until they find a new location. (Gil Garcetti)In preparation for their departure, the owners recently reached out to Gehry, who they say has offered to store the contents of the restaurant in one of his warehouses until they find a new location. Hes also offered to design that potential new location, they said.Fine noted that if its installed in a similar manner it could connect to his intent and still be considered historic. Meanwhile the Gettys Casciato wondered if Gehry could potentially update the existing space if given the chance. She implores the preservation community to be a little more granular. To look at the tiny things that still speak of the architecture of the city and of Gehry or any other architect. Meanwhile words of appreciationand distresskeep pouring in. Ive talked to so many people about it, and theyre really disheartened, said Robb Rothman, a regular who has had a house account here for years. He talks about the Saturday morning breakfast club and the families who pack inside every weekend. They just couldnt be nicer, he remarked.Its so easy for things to get undone, said Daly. The power of indifference is so devastating.Sam Lubell is editor at large at Metropolis and has written more than ten books about architecture for Phaidon, Rizzoli, Monacelli Press, and Artbook D.A.P.