Robert A.M. Stern, noted American architect, dies at 86

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FILE - Former President George W. Bush, left, and center architect Robert A.M. Stern pause for a photo before the signing ceremony for the joint use agreement between the National Archive and the George W. Bush Presidential Center Wednesday, April 24, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

FILE - Dignitaries, from second-from-left to right are Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez; Twain House Board of Trustees President James R. Claffee; Executive Director John Boyer; Connecticut first lady Patty Rowland; Gov. John G. Rowland; U.S. Rep. John Larson; and architect Robert A.M. Stern take part in groundbreaking for an Education and Visitors Center on the grounds of the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, April 3, 2002. (AP Photo/Bob Child, File) — FILE - Former President George W. Bush, left, and center architect Robert A.M. Stern pause for a photo before the signing ceremony for the joint use agreement between the National Archive and the George W. Bush Presidential Center Wednesday, April 24, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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4:06 PM on Thursday, November 27

By The Associated Press

Acclaimed architect Robert A.M. Stern, a prominent figure in American architecture who designed notable museums, libraries and residences, died Thursday, according to a statement from the firm he founded. He was 86.

The statement did not specify a cause of death, but said Stern “died comfortably at his home.”

“At RAMSA, we grieve the loss of our founder, mentor, and friend, and remain committed to carrying forth his ideals,” the statement from the firm's partners said.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1939, Stern founded the Robert A. M. Stern Architects firm, now known as RAMSA, in 1969. He gained acclaim for his decades of work and style, which blended postmodernism with contextual design, drawing inspiration from historic and traditional styles.

He was widely known for 15 Central Park West, a luxury condominium featuring a recognizable limestone exterior in Manhattan bordering Central Park. The building opened in 2008 and has attracted prominent, wealthy and famous tenants.

Stern's works also include 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.

He served as dean of the Yale School of Architecture from 1998 to 2016. He was previously the director of Columbia University’s Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture.