Robert A.M. Stern, Architect Behind Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club, Dies at 86. We lost a big name in the Disney world this week. Robert A.M. Stern, the architect who gave us some of the most beautiful resorts at Walt Disney World, died on Thursday. He was 86 years old.
His firm, RAMSA, shared the news. They didn’t give a specific cause, but they said he died comfortably at his home.
Stern was a giant in the architecture world. He was born in Brooklyn and started his firm back in 1969. While he designed famous buildings all over the country, Disney fans know him best for the look and feel of the “Disney Decade” in the 1990s.
His Work for Disney
If you love the Epcot resort area, you love Robert A.M. Stern’s work. He didn’t just design buildings; he created places that felt like they had been there forever.
Here are the major Disney projects he brought to life:
- Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts: He designed these side-by-side hotels in Florida to look like old New England seaside resorts. They are famous for their grey and blue siding and the massive pool area.
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn: Just across the water from the Yacht Club, he designed this hotel to feel like 1920s Atlantic City.
- WDW Casting Center: If you’ve ever driven onto Disney property near Disney Springs, you’ve seen this. It’s the building with the diamond (argyle) patterns and the little golden statues on top.
- Feature Animation Building: Located at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, this is the building with the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat (the original one) as the cone entry.
- Hotels in Paris: He designed Disney’s Newport Bay Club and the Hotel Cheyenne at Disneyland Paris.
- Celebration, Florida: Stern created the master plan for the town of Celebration and designed the Celebration Health Center.
It turns out Stern wasn’t just a hired architect. He was actually on the Disney Board of Directors for a long time.
Disney CEO Bob Iger posted a message about the loss: “Rest in peace, Robert Stern, a long-time member of the @disney board of directors, and the architect of many of our highest quality buildings. We will miss his talent, his charm, and his support.”
A Life Outside of Disney: Stern did a lot of work outside of the parks, too. He was famous for mixing modern styles with history. He didn’t want buildings to look like cold glass boxes. He wanted them to fit in with their neighbors.
He designed the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. In New York, he is incredibly famous for 15 Central Park West. It’s a luxury condo building that opened in 2008.
From the D23 Walt Disney World Archives: Stern, Robert A. M., Architect; designed the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts at Walt Disney World and the Hotel Cheyenne and the Newport Bay Club at Disneyland Resort Paris. He was named to the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company in 1992, serving until 2003. He designed the new animation building at the Disney Studio that opened in December 1994. He also designed the Walt Disney World Casting Center, the BoardWalk Resort, Celebration Health, and the Disney Ambassador Hotel at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
The partners at his firm said they are going to miss their founder, mentor, and friend.
