Robert A.M. Stern, Postmodern Architect

Born:

May 23, 1939

Full Name:

Robert Arthur Morton Stern

Education:

• 1960: Columbia, Bachelor's degree
• 1965: Yale, Master's degree in architecture

Important Buildings:

• 1990: Disney Beach Club Resort, Florida
• 1990: Disney Yacht Club Resort, Florida
• 1993: Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
• 1996: Disney Boardwalk Resort, Florida
• 2005: Jacksonville Public Library, Florida
• 2006: Federal Courthouse for Richmond, Virginia

Product Design:

The firm of Robert A. M. Stern also designs furniture, lighting, fabrics, and other decorative household items. For photos, see product designs by Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

Urban Planning:

Although he is best known for his house designs, Robert A.M. Stern has been involved in vast urban planning projects such as the 1992 renovation of 42nd Street theater block in New York City. Along with architect Jaquelin Robertson, Robert A.M. Stern was the master planner for Celebration, Florida.

Other Works:

Robert A.M. Stern has served as dean for the Yale School of Architecture since 1998. Stern narrated the PBS television series and companion book Pride of Place: Building the American Dream (compare prices) and has written or edited nearly two dozen books about design.

Related People:

• After graduating from Yale, Stern briefly worked as a designer in the office of architect Richard Meier.
• Architect and urban designer Andres Duany once worked for Stern.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP:

Address:
460 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001

Web Site:
Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP

About Robert A. M. Stern:

New York architect Robert A. M. Stern takes history to heart. A postmodernist, he creates buildings that express affection for the past. Stern served on The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors from 1992 to 2003 and has designed many buildings for The Walt Disney Company.

Robert A.M. Stern's Boardwalk at Disney World suggests an American seaside village from the early 20th century. The buildings illustrate the evolution of architectural styles from the Victorian to the Vienna Secessionist movement. The mini-village is not intended to be historically exact -- rather, it presents a dream-like walk past artifacts from several eras. There is an ice cream parlor, a piano bar, a 1930s dance hall, a vintage roller-coaster, and an authentic 1920s carousel.

Across Crescent Lake from Boardwalk, the Yacht and Beach Club hotels were also designed by Robert A.M. Stern. The Yacht Club is modeled after Victorian Shingle architecture, a rustic yet elegant fashion on America's Atlantic coast at the turn of the century. The Beach Club is an informal, sprawling wood structure which also reflects 19th century American resort architecture.

When Stern envisioned the Casting Center, an employee training area on Route I-4 near Orlando, Florida, he wanted to express the spirit of Disney, and also to reflect the Florida locale. The result is a building that resembles a Venetian Palazzo, yet contains whimsical Disneyesque details. Hence, classical columns are topped with gold leaf Disney characters.