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Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen with Florence Knoll inspecting
a prototype of the Tulip chair
Personal information
Name Eero Saarinen
Nationality Finnish American
Birth date August 20, 1910
Birth place Kirkkonummi, Finland
Date of death September 1, 1961 (aged 51)
Place of death Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Work
Significant buildings See list of works
Significant design Gateway Arch
Tulip chair

Eero Saarinen (pronounced [eːro saːrinen]) (August 20, 1910 Kirkkonummi, Finland – September 1, 1961 Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States) was a Finnish American architect and product designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism. Florence Knoll Bassett (born May 24, 1917) is an American architect and furniture designer who studied under Mies van der Rohe See also List of chairs Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent who currently number about 700000 Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ann Arbor is a city in the US state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Eero Saarinen (eːro saːrinen (August 20 1910 Kirkkonummi, Finland – September 1 1961 Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States) was The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is located in St Louis Missouri near See also List of chairs Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ann Arbor is a city in the US state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Finnish Americans are Americans of Finnish descent who currently number about 700000 An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

Contents

Biography

Eero Saarinen who was born in Hvitträsk coincidentally shared the same birthday as his father, Eliel Saarinen. Hvitträsk was designed to be a studio home for the members of Gesellius Lindgren and Saarinen. Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen ( August 20, 1873, Rantasalmi, Finland &ndash July 1, 1950, Bloomfield Hills Michigan Saarinen emigrated to the United States of America in 1923 when he was thirteen years old. He grew up within the community of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where his father taught. The Cranbrook Educational Community, a National Historic Landmark, in the U Saarinen studied under his father and took courses in sculpture and furniture design. Saarinen had a close relationship with fellow students Charles and Ray Eames, and became good friends with Florence (Schust) Knoll. Charles (1907-1978 and Ray (1912–1988 Eames (ˈiːmz were American designers married in 1941 who worked and made major contributions in many fields of design Charles (1907-1978 and Ray (1912–1988 Eames (ˈiːmz were American designers married in 1941 who worked and made major contributions in many fields of design Florence Knoll Bassett (born May 24, 1917) is an American architect and furniture designer who studied under Mies van der Rohe Beginning in September 1929, he studied sculpture at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, France. The Académie de la Grande Chaumière ( academy of the large thatched cottage) is an Art school located at 14 rue de la Grande Chaumière in the VIe arrondissement [1] He then went on to study architecture at Yale University, completing his studies in 1934. The Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. After that, he toured Europe and North Africa for a year and spent another year back in Finland, after which he returned to Cranbrook to work for his father and teach at the academy. He became a naturalized citizen of the U. Naturalization is the acquisition of Citizenship or Nationality by somebody who was not a citizen or national of that country when he or she was born S. in 1940. Saarinen was recruited by his friend, who was also an architect, to join the military service in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The Office of Strategic Services ( OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. Saarinen was assigned to draw illustrations for bomb disassembly manuals and to provide designs for the Situation Room in the White House. Saarinen worked full time for the OSS until 1944. [1] After his father's death in 1950, Saarinen founded his own architect's office, "Eero Saarinen and Associates". He had two children from his first marriage, Eric and Susan.

In 1954, after having divorced his first wife, Saarinen married Aline Bernstein, an art critic at The New York Times. They had a son, Eames, named after his collaborator Charles Eames. Charles (1907-1978 and Ray (1912–1988 Eames (ˈiːmz were American designers married in 1941 who worked and made major contributions in many fields of design

Furniture

Saarinen first received critical recognition, while still working for his father, for a chair designed together with Charles Eames for the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition in 1940, for which they received first prize. This chair, like all other Saarinen chairs was taken into production by the Knoll furniture company, founded by the Saarinen family friend Florence (Schust) Knoll together with her husband Hans Knoll. Knoll is a design firm that produces office systems seating files and storage tables and desks textiles and accessories Florence Knoll Bassett (born May 24, 1917) is an American architect and furniture designer who studied under Mies van der Rohe Knoll is a design firm that produces office systems seating files and storage tables and desks textiles and accessories Further attention came also while Saarinen was still working for his father, when he took first prize in the 1948 competition for the design of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, not completed until the 1960s. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is located in St Louis Missouri near The competition award was mistakenly sent to his father.

During his long association with Knoll he designed many important pieces of furniture including the "Grasshopper" lounge chair and ottoman (1946), the "Womb" chair and ottoman (1948), the "Womb" settee (1950), side and arm chairs (1948-1950), and his most famous "Tulip" or "Pedestal" group (1956), which featured side and arm chairs, dining, coffee and side tables, as well as a stool. All of these designs were highly successful except for the "Grasshopper" lounge chair, which, although in production through 1965, was not a big seller. His Womb chair and ottoman, as well as his "Tulip" collection, have remained in production and are considered iconic.

Architecture

Saarinen's Gateway Arch frames the Old Courthouse, which sits at the heart of the city of Saint Louis, near the river's edge. (Courtesy NPS)
Saarinen's Gateway Arch frames the Old Courthouse, which sits at the heart of the city of Saint Louis, near the river's edge. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is located in St Louis Missouri near The Old Courthouse (officially called the Old St Louis County Courthouse) was a combination federal and state Courthouse in St (Courtesy NPS)

The first major work by Saarinen, started together with his father, was the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, designed in the rationalist Miesian style: in steel and glass, but with the added accent of panels in two shades of blue. The GM Technical Center is a General Motors facility in Warren Michigan. Warren is a city in Macomb County in the US state of Michigan. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (ˈlʊdvɪç miːs faːn dɛʀ ˈʀoːɐ born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies ( March 27, 1886 &ndash August 17, 1969 With the success of the scheme, Saarinen was then invited by other major American corporations to design their new headquarters: these included John Deere, IBM, and CBS. John Deere ( February 7, 1804 &ndash May 17, 1886) was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company &mdash International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Despite their rationality, however, the interiors usually contained more dramatic sweeping staircases, as well as furniture designed by Saarinen, such as the Pedestal Series. In the 1950s he began to receive more commissions from American universities for campus designs and individual buildings; these include the Noyes dormitory at Vassar, as well as an ice rink, Morse College, and Ezra Stiles College at Yale University. Vassar College is a private Coeducational, liberal arts college situated in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. Morse College is one of the twelve residential colleges at Yale University, built in 1961 and designed by Eero Saarinen. Ezra Stiles College is a residential college at Yale University, built in 1961 by Eero Saarinen. Both the Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges at Yale have received criticism from students for failing to fulfill basic dormitory needs.

He served on the jury for the Sydney Opera House commission and was crucial in the selection of the internationally-known design by Jørn Utzon. The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney New South Wales, Australia Jørn Utzon, AC (born 9 April 1918 is a Danish Architect most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia

"Eero Saarinen and Associates" was the architectural firm of Eero Saarinen, who was the principal partner from 1950 until his death in 1961. The firm was initially known as "Saarinen, Swansen and Associates", headed by Eliel Saarinen and Robert Swansen from the late 1930s until Eliel's death in 1950. Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen ( August 20, 1873, Rantasalmi, Finland &ndash July 1, 1950, Bloomfield Hills Michigan The firm was located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan until 1961 when the practice was moved to Hamden, Connecticut. Bloomfield Hills is a City in Oakland County of the US state of Michigan, northwest of Detroit (18 miles from downtown Detroit Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. Under Eero Saarinen, the firm carried out many of its most important works, including the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch) in St. Louis, Missouri, the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the main terminal of Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is located in St Louis Missouri near The TWA Flight Center was the original name for Terminal 5 at New York City 's Idlewild Airport (now John F John F Kennedy International Airport is an International airport located in Queens County on Long Island in southeastern New York City about 12 miles (19 Washington Dulles International Airport is a public Airport located 25 miles (40 km) west of the Central business district of Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Many of these projects use catenary curves in their structural designs. In Physics and Geometry, the catenary is the theoretical Shape of a hanging flexible Chain or Cable when supported at its ends and One of the best-known thin-shell concrete structures in America is the Kresge Auditorium (MIT), which was designed by Saarinen. Kresge Auditorium is an Auditorium building for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located at 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Massachusetts Another thin-shell structure that he created is the Ingalls Rink (Yale University), which has suspension cables connected to a single concrete backbone and is nicknamed "the whale. David S Ingalls Rink is a hockey rink designed by architect Eero Saarinen and built between 1953 and 1958 for Yale University. " Undoubtedly his most famous work is the TWA Flight Center, which represents the culmination of his previous designs and demonstrates his expressionism and the technical marvel in concrete shells. [1]

Saarinen died, while undergoing an operation for a brain tumor, at the age of 51. His partners, Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, completed his ten remaining projects, including the St. Kevin Roche (b June 14, 1922) is an award-winning twentieth-century Irish-born American Architect. Louis arch. Afterwards, the name of the firm was changed to "Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo, and Associates", or Roche-Dinkeloo. Roche-Dinkeloo, otherwise known as Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates LLC, is an architectural partnership based in Hamden Connecticut founded in 1966

Reputation

Eero Saarinen was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1952. Fellow of the American Institute of Architects ( FAIA) is an Postnomial, designating an individual who has been named a Fellow of the American Institute The American Institute of Architects (AIA is a professional organization for Architects in the United States. He is also a winner of the AIA Gold Medal. The AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects conferred "by the national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a significant body of work of lasting

Saarinen is now considered one of the masters of American 20th Century architecture. [1] There has been a veritable surge of interest in Saarinen's work in recent years, including a major exhibition and several books. This is partly due to the Roche and Dinkeloo office having donated their Saarinen archives to Yale University, but also because Saarinen's oeuvre can be said to fit in with present-day concerns about pluralism of styles. He was criticized in his own time — most vociferously by critic Vincent Scully — for having no identifiable style (Miesian rationalism for the several company headquarters; organic or abstract expressionism for several individual structures such as the TWA Flight Center, as well as his furniture designs; but also classicising eclecticism, for instance in the USA embassy in London): one explanation for this is that Saarinen adapted his modernist vision to each individual client and project, which were never exactly the same. Vincent Joseph Scully Jr (b1920 is a Sterling Professor Emeritus of the History of Art in Architecture at Yale University, and the author of several

A list of works

TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport
TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport
1953 Kresge Auditorium, MIT campus, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1953 Kresge Auditorium, MIT campus, Cambridge, Massachusetts
North Christian Church, Columbus, Indiana
North Christian Church, Columbus, Indiana
1953 Emma Hartman Noyes house, Vassar College campus, Poughkeepsie, New York
1953 Emma Hartman Noyes house, Vassar College campus, Poughkeepsie, New York
The Tulip chair produced by the Knoll company
The Tulip chair produced by the Knoll company

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen and Donald Albrecht (eds), Eero Saarinen. Drake University is a private co-educational University located in the city of Des Moines Iowa, USA. Shaping the Future (2006)

References and further reading

An exhibition of Saarinen's work, Eero Saarinen: Realizing American Utopia, has been organized by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York in collaboration with Yale School of Architecture and the Museum of Finnish Architecture. The Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. Museum of Finnish Architecture is an architectural Museum in Helsinki, Finland. The exhibition will tour in Europe and the USA from 2006 to 2010. The exhibition is accompanied by the book Eero Saarinen. Shaping the Future.

See also

External links

Thin-shell structures are light weight constructions using shell elements. A tensile structure is a Construction of elements carrying only Tension and no Compression or Bending. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This article provides a list of notable people who had a primary or Yale University Library is the library system of Yale University in New Haven Connecticut, United States. Museum of Finnish Architecture is an architectural Museum in Helsinki, Finland.
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