The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Stern, Robert A. M.
(Robert Arthur Morton Stern), 1939–, American architect, b. New York City. He studied architecture at Yale Univ., became a practicing architect in the mid-1960s, and a professor of architecture at Columbia Univ. in 1970. He and John S. Hagmann were partners from 1969 to 1977, when Stern opened his own firm. An important figure in architectural postmodernism, he is particularly skilled at adapting historical styles to a contemporary context and at integrating buildings into their settings. Primarily known for his residential structures, he also has been involved in larger projects, such as the massive renovation of New York City’s Times Square (1992–). Stern’s many books include New Directions in Architecture (1969) and Pride of Place: Building the American Dream (1986), a companion to the television series he created and hosted for the Public Broadcasting System. Stern was appointed dean of the Yale School of Architecture in 1998.
