The architectural world is mourning the loss of Robert AM Stern, the visionary designer famously known as the 'King of Central Park West', who has died at the age of 86.
Stern, who was born in Brooklyn, leaves behind a profound legacy defined by his commitment to creating buildings that evoked the grandeur of pre-war New York while incorporating contemporary luxury for a modern elite.
The Masterpiece on Central Park West
Stern's most celebrated work, 15 Central Park West, fundamentally altered the city's real estate landscape. Completed in 2008, the limestone-clad building was swiftly crowned the highest-priced new apartment building in New York's history.
The project generated a staggering $2 billion in sales, earning it the reputation as the world's most lucrative apartment block. Its design was a deliberate homage to the classic architectural styles of the 1920s and 30s, featuring an exterior adorned with more than 85,000 individual pieces of limestone.
It became a magnet for the global elite. Its prestigious resident list included Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, tech pioneer Steve Jobs, and a constellation of celebrities such as Bono, Sting, Denzel Washington, and sports commentator Bob Costas.
Buckling Trends and Defining a Style
In an era dominated by modernist glass condominiums and, later, ultra-tall skyscrapers, Stern carved a unique path. He championed a philosophy he termed "traditional modern", successfully making old-fashioned elegance feel new and relevant again.
Reflecting on 15 Central Park West, Stern once told the New York Times, "It was my breakthrough." He was a purist in his methods, confessing that he did not use a computer and preferred to draw everything by hand.
The building's success was also a triumph of market insight. The developers, the Zeckendorf family, understood that affluent buyers were drawn to something new that retained a sense of established history. The building offered classic Park Avenue apartment layouts alongside modern amenities like screening rooms, a copper-domed rotunda lobby, a 75-foot pool, and even a dedicated waiting room for chauffeurs.
A Prolific Career Beyond the Skyline
At the peak of his influence, Stern managed a 300-person architectural firm. His scholarly contributions were as significant as his constructions; he authored encyclopedic volumes on New York's architecture and served with distinction as the dean of the Yale School of Architecture.
His portfolio demonstrated remarkable range. He designed beach club resorts for Disney World in Florida and his firm masterminded the plan for Disney's town of Celebration. Other notable projects include the George W Bush Center in Dallas, the Museum of the American Revolution, and Philadelphia's 58-story Comcast Center.
With his signature style of pocket squares, bespoke suits, and suede loafers, Stern was a distinctive figure. He was an outspoken critic of much modernist architecture, arguing in 2007 that "Many Modernist works of our time tend to be self-important objects... Buildings can be icons or objects, but they still have to engage with the larger whole."
He summed up his own position by stating, "I'm not considered avant-garde because I'm not avant-garde. But there is a parallel world out there – of excellence." It was in this world of excellence that Robert AM Stern built his enduring legacy.
