EERO SAARINEN

Creator of some of the most dazzling architecture of the 20th century, such as the TWA Flight Center in New York and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Eero Saarinen left behind an impressive legacy that also includes some of the most iconic furniture designs of the modern movement. 

Saarinen's father was Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, who brought his family to the U.S. and became the dean of the Cranbrook Academy of Art., in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  In the 1930s, the younger Saarinen began taking courses in furniture design and sculpture at Cranbrook. During his time there, he developed friendships with three of his fellow students who would profoundly impact his life and career: the designers Charles and Ray Eames, who would become two of America's most successful modern designers, and Florence Knoll, who would create iconic designs for the furniture company she formed with her husband, Knoll. The Eames and Saarinen collaborated on innovative furniture designs that won major awards from the Museum of Modern Art and were soon put into production by Knoll. This led to a successful, decades-long collaboration that produced the Grasshopper lounge chair, the Womb chair and ottoman, and Tulip tables and chairs – classic designs that are still in production today,  

"The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man's life on earth. And to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence."

– Eero Saarinen

After leaving Cranbrook, Saarinen studied at the Yale School of Architecture, graduating in 1934. Following a multi-year tour of Europe, North Africa and his parents' native Finland, Saarinen returned to the US to teach at Cranbrook and work for his father's architecture firm. The two developed modern corporate headquarters buildings for General Motors, John Deere, IBM and CBS. 

After his father's death, Saarinen set up his own architectural firm, called Saarinen and Associates. He created his most important projects during this period, including: 
• The Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, Missouri
• The TWA Flight Center at New York's Kennedy Airport
• The Miller House in Columbus, Indian (with interiors by Alexander Girard)
• Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC

In spite of Eero Saarinen's relatively short career (he died unexpectedly at the age of 51), he left behind a legacy of stunningly innovative designs that are studied and revered the world over. Today, he is considered one of the masters of 20th Century Architecture

In 2016, Eero Saarinen's filmmaker son Eric produced a beautiful, insightful documentary about his famous father's life and work. Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future,  which premiered on the PBS American Masters series.