Maxwell Starkman (November 17, 1921 – December 29, 2003) was a Canadian architect based in Los Angeles, California.

Maxwell Starkman
Born(1921-11-17)November 17, 1921
DiedDecember 29, 2003(2003-12-29) (aged 82)
Alma materUniversity of Manitoba
OccupationArchitect
PracticeMaxwell Starkman Associates
BuildingsMuseum of Tolerance

Biography

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Early life

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Maxwell Starkman was born in 1921 in Toronto, Canada.[1][2] He served in England, France, Belgium and Germany during World War II.[1][2] He graduated from the University of Manitoba.[1][2]

Career

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The Dunes hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1950.[1] Shortly after, he started working for Richard J. Neutra.[1] In 1953, he started Reichl and Starkman Architects with fellow architect Fritz Reichl.[1] After Reichl died in 1954, he established Maxwell Starkman Associates, an architectural firm.[1] He mostly built tract homes for returning G.I.s.[2][3]

 
The Fallbrook Center in West Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Later, he built commercial buildings such as shopping malls and drugstores.[2] For example, he designed the Park Place Shopping Center and the Sunrise City Shopping Center along the Maryland Parkway in Las Vegas, Nevada.[2] He also designed the Fallbrook Center in West Hills and some student housing at California State University, Los Angeles. Later in the 1960s, he designed the Melodyland Theater in Anaheim.[1] Additionally, Starkman designed the Dunes hotel and casino, which was later demolished and replaced with the Bellagio.[2]

 
The Meridian Condominiums in San Diego, California.

In 1972, he designed the Zenith Tower located at 6300 on Wilshire Boulevard, near Carthay Circle.[3] It was built for the Zenith National Insurance as a sixteen-story skyscraper.[3] Later, he designed the Sony Pictures Plaza.[1] He also designed the Meridian Condominiums, a skyscraper in San Diego. His last design was the Museum of Tolerance.[1]

He retired in 1987.[1]

Personal life

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He was married to Gloria Starkman.[1] They had three sons and one daughter: sons David, Laurence, Robert, and Nancy.[1] He became a widower when his wife died in 1992.[1]

Death

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He died on December 29, 2003.[1]

Legacy

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The Maxwell Starkman Scholarship in Architecture at the University of Manitoba is named in his honor.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Oliver, Myrna (January 5, 2004). "Maxwell Starkman, 82; Architect for Sony Plaza, Museum of Tolerance". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Dunes hotel tower architect Starkman dies". Las Vegas Sun. January 26, 2004.
  3. ^ a b c "Zenith Tower". Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  4. ^ Canadian Scholarships