Martin Stern, Jr.
| Martin Stern Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 9, 1917 |
| Died | July 28, 2001 (aged 84) |
| Occupation | Architect |
Martin Stern Jr. (April 9, 1917 – July 28, 2001) was an American architect who was most widely known for his large scale designs and structures in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is credited with originating the concept of the structurally integrated casino resort complex in Las Vegas.
The International Hotel, which later became the Las Vegas Hilton, and the first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, two pivotal Martin Stern Jr. projects with entrepreneur Kirk Kerkorian in 1969 and 1973, set the pace for the transformation of Las Vegas from a low-rise sprawl of motels, clubs and parking lots into an extravagant high-rise metropolis.
The Daily Telegraph (London) wrote of the first Stern and Kerkorian project in its September 2001 eulogy to Stern: "The International, whose tri-form 30-floor tower contained 1,519 rooms and became the most imitated building on the Las Vegas Strip, provided the model for the Bellagio, Treasure Island, Mirage and Mandalay Bay, among other hotels." When it was completed, the International was the largest hotel in the world. It is now the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
The first MGM Grand, larger than the Empire State Building and in its turn the largest hotel in the world, burned in 1980 in what is considered the worst disaster in Nevada state history. As the Telegraph observed, this loss only seven years after the hotel was completed was devastating to Stern. The MGM Grand was nonetheless rebuilt within eight months and reopened. It was sold in 1985 and is now Bally's Las Vegas.
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