EDITORIAL GLARINGLY OBVIOUS DISNEY CENTER'S GLEAM HAS TO BE TONED DOWN BEFORE SOMEONE GOES BLIND.

FRANK Gehry might think about contracting for the services of a good metallurgist.

Because, while the internationally renowned Santa Monica architect has created some stunning edifices locally and abroad, his choice of materials has caused some foreseeable problems.

The titanium steel surfaces that grace the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, have rusted, possibly caused by air pollution. And now the highly reflective exterior of the Walt Disney Music Center in downtown Los Angeles is causing heat and glare problems.

Someone should have stopped earlier to think about the environment. Southern California is known for its sunshine. And stainless steel, which encases nearly the entire exterior, is so shiny, it causes eye-searing glares into the nearby business and homes.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will wisely consider in January whether to sandblast the structure until its gleam is toned down. And that's a shame to have to debase such a distinctive building.

So, next time, before someone gets hurt, Gehry ought call a good metallurgist before he finishes his design.