Robert A.M. Stern, the celebrated architect who served as dean of Yale School of Architecture for 18 years and founded one of America's most prominent architectural firms, died on November 27 in New York City at the age of 86. His son Nicholas confirmed to The New York Times that his death followed a brief pulmonary illness. Stern's passing marks the end of an era for American architecture, as he was widely recognized for his contributions to postmodern design and architectural education.
Stern established his eponymous firm, Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), in 1977, which grew into a powerhouse practice with 18 partners and 250 employees by the time of his death. The firm became known for designing residential towers throughout Manhattan, many of which line Central Park, as well as controversial projects like the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Texas. Stern's influence extended far beyond his architectural practice through his prolific writing career, most notably his six-volume series about New York City architecture that became a fixture on coffee tables and bookshelves across the country. The latest installment, "New York 2020," was recently published.
Born Robert Arthur Morton Stern in Brooklyn in 1939, he earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1960 and a Master of Architecture from Yale University in 1965. After founding his first office, Stern & Hagmann, with architect John Hagmann in 1969, he established RAMSA eight years later. His career gained international recognition when he participated in the Venice Architecture Biennale's Strada Novissima in 1980, leading to major commissions from the Walt Disney Company, where he served on the board, and prominent developers like the Zeckendorfs and Hines.
Stern's impact on architectural education was equally significant during his tenure as dean of Yale School of Architecture from 1998 to 2016. George Knight, a former RAMSA employee and Yale educator, noted that the school flourished and attracted a diverse range of professionals under Stern's leadership. However, his legacy in education was not without controversy, as some female students recalled him making what they described as racist and sexist comments, with one anonymous signatory of the "Shitty Architecture Men" list stating that "he frequently and publicly making racist and sexist comments about women and pregnancy" and was "openly classist."
Beyond his architectural practice and educational roles, Stern was a prominent public intellectual who brought architecture to mainstream audiences. In 1986, he hosted a PBS series called "Pride of Place: Building the American Dream," which introduced the American public to renowned architects like Philip Johnson, Frank Gehry, and Peter Eisenman. He also served as the inaugural director of Columbia GSAPP's Buell Center from 1983 to 1988 and later directed the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation from 1992 to 1998.
Stern's writing career encompassed numerous monographs documenting RAMSA's work and contributions to other architectural publications. His relationship with mentor Philip Johnson was chronicled in a dedicated book published in 2008 featuring their interviews. In 2022, he published his memoir "Between Memory and Invention: My Journey in Architecture," co-written with Leopoldo Villardi, in which he reflected on his belief that architecture represents "the artful synthesis of time-honored traditions and immediate circumstance."
Colleagues and former students remembered Stern as a complex figure whose influence extended throughout the architectural profession. RAMSA partner Daniel Lobitz stated that "Bob's impact reverberates not just through RAMSA, but across the entire field of architecture. His legacy will live on through the books he wrote, the students he mentored, and the people who inhabit his remarkable buildings." Deborah Berke, Stern's successor as dean at Yale, described him to the Yale Daily News as "disarmingly frank and rather direct" but also "principled, generous, and fun," noting that "nothing was more important than architecture and architectural education, and nothing was more fun than talking about design with a martini in hand."
Aaron Betsky, writing in "Queer Space," credited Stern with "queering modernism," work that RAMSA continued through commissions like designing the American LGBTQ Museum and leading queer history walking tours in Greenwich Village. The new Tang Wing for the New York Historical Society will house the American LGBTQ Museum, representing another facet of Stern's diverse architectural legacy.
Rosalie Genevro, former executive director of The Architectural League of New York, shared her remembrance of interviewing Stern multiple times in 2023, describing his "wide-ranging knowledge, remarkable memory and delight in knowing personal histories, foibles included, and his unbounded affection for New York, and for architecture as art, business, intellectual pursuit, and all-consuming interest." She characterized him as "a remarkable, infuriating, endearing, one-of-a-kind man" who "will be profoundly missed."
Stern's death came as a surprise to many, as he had planned to retire from RAMSA in January. His philosophical approach to architecture emphasized continuity and dialogue between past and present, as he wrote in his memoir's conclusion: "The dialogue between old and new, between what was and what is and what will be, is the conversation across time that I have continuously sought to advance." Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, tributes poured in from former students, employees, and colleagues, while RAMSA announced its commitment to "carrying forth his ideals" as the firm continues its operations under its remaining 18 partners.
