R
obert A.M. Stern, the celebrated American architect known for museums, libraries, and high‑profile residences, died at age 86 on Thursday. The statement from his firm, Robert A. M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), said he “died comfortably at his home” and that the firm mourns the loss of its founder, mentor, and friend, pledging to uphold his vision.

    Born in Brooklyn in 1939, Stern launched RAMSA in 1969. His career blended postmodernism with contextual design, drawing on historic and traditional motifs. Among his most famous projects are 15 Central Park West, a limestone‑clad luxury condominium on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that opened in 2008 and has housed many prominent figures; the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas; the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia; the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan; and Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in Florida.

    Stern also served as dean of the Yale School of Architecture from 1998 to 2016 and previously directed Columbia University’s Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture. His legacy endures through the enduring influence of his designs and the continued work of RAMSA.