Renowned architect Zelnik passes

The longtime Riverdale resident kept up his family legacy of building designers

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Riverdale’s Marty Zelnik accomplished many things in his life. An architect. An educator. A multi-sport athlete in high school and college. A record-breaker. A family man.

After a brief illness, he died on April 1 at the age of 82 with his family by his side.

“We are devastated,” his son, Bryan Zelnik, said on Facebook. “We know he had an amazing life filled with friends like you and all his classmates from RCS (Riverdale Country School), Brandeis, Columbia, Camp Onibar, FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), AIA (American Institute of Architects) and others he made friends with in life. He gave to everyone and never asked for anything in return. He loved all of you and cherished everyone’s friendship.”

The following is an obituary Bryan shared with The Riverdale Press:

It is with sadness to say that our loving husband and beloved father, Martin Zelnik, died on April 1 at his winter home in Sarasota, Florida. He was 82 years old. Martin (“Marty” to us) was a lifelong Riverdalian, having been born, raised, and spent his adult life in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. He and his older brother, Reggie, went to RCS. Marty started in kindergarten and stayed on through our high school graduation. 

After Riverdale, Marty attended Brandeis University where he played five sports – football, tennis, soccer, basketball and fencing. With Zelnik on the court the Brandeis tennis team compiled a 30-win, 3-loss record over a 3-year stretch. As a result of his prowess, he was inducted into the Brandeis Hall of Fame. During his senior spring season at Brandeis he was the first Women’s tennis team coach. 

After Brandeis, Marty attended the Columbia University School of Architecture and founded Panero Zelnik Associates, a distinguished architecture firm that he led for 50 years. As an Architect, he also taught and created the Interior Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology at the State Uni versity of New York and co-authored three major design standard publications available in eight languages. He always helped his students to be better designers, his colleagues better teachers and he was a voice in the architecture and interior design community. 

As the AIA Bronx Chapter Vice President, Marty Zelnik was Bronx Chapter’s Royalty.  He was in the unique position with three generations of Bronx AIA Architects: his father, Simon Zelnik FAIA, a founding member of the Bronx Chapter in 1945; and his son, Bryan Zelnik AIA since 2010.

He was terrific as: Chapter member, Civic Leader, prolific writer, and observer/commenter on all things architectural.   Marty was an Architect’s Architect, but most of all a wonderful, outspoken, concerned gentleman.

He was the Architect of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale with a modern design inspired by the one of the greatest 20th century Architect’s Louis Kahn, which he was very proud of.  In recent years, he purchased the Moccasin Wallow Golf Club, located outside of Sarasota , which he co-owned with his son, Noah. 

Marty’s classmates, colleagues and former students will remember him as a mentor and friend, who in recent years served as the lynchpin of arranging class reunions and zoom during Covid.

An endless source of ideas and idealism, Marty always thought of others before himself.

We give our condolences to Marty’s survivors, Lassa, his wife of 59 years; his sons, Geoffrey, Bryan and Noah; and grandsons, Cooper and Arik, as well as his niece, Pamela.”

One of Marty’s students summed up her experience and thoughts about her FIT professor: “My heart is broken…Martin Zelnik.

“He meant so much to me, he believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. He was the employer you always wanted, the friend who told you like it is. A professor who taught you balance.”

The family is holding private services.

Riverdale, Marty_Zelnik, Bryan_Zelnik, Brandeis University, Riverdale Country Day School, Lassa_Zelnik, Fashion Institute of Technology, architect, AIA