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Legendary architect Frank Gehry, who left a distinctive mark on cities around the world,  died this week. His influence was felt in Panama, where he designed one of the city’s most distinctive tourism attractions.

Panama City’s Biomuseo, which celebrates the biological and cultural diversity of Panama, was Gehry’s first work in Latin America, and one of his most dramatic. Located on the Amador Causeway at the entrance of the Panama Canal, the swirling shapes are reminiscent of many of Gehry’s greatest works, including the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. But the Biomuseo design was a special project for the great architect.

Gehry’s wife, Berta Isabel Aguilera, was from Panama and reportedly played a large part in the architect’s involvement with the Biomuseo. She served as an office manager and CFO for Gehry Partners, handling finances and logistics, and her family connections helped bring the project to fruition.

“This has been a very personal project for me,” Gehry said during construction. “I feel close ties to the people of Panama, and I believe strongly that we should all be trying to conserve biodiversity, which is threatened everywhere.”

The Biomuseo building, completed in 2014, is designed to “tell the story of how the Isthmus of Panama emerged from the sea, connecting two continents, splitting a great ocean in two and changing the biodiversity of the planet forever,” according to the museum’s marketing materials.

Gehry made choices to reflect Panama and the goals of the museum. The bright colors and irregular shapes represent Panama’s natural diversity. The metal canopies and rainwater systems are designed to handle the tropical conditions

While not celebrated as often as many of his other works, the Biomuseo is considered a classic Gehry work, representing the elements that made his work different. Following his death, Dezeen, the international architecture magazine, listed the Biomuseo as one of Gehry’s 15 most influential projects.