Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer known for his neo-futuristic style and ideas. He’s had the pleasure of designing the Washington Dulles International Airport outside Washington DC, the TWA Flight Center in New York City and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. His family immigrated to the United States in 1923 and studied at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where his father taught and was dean of the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He was well invested in is craft and chose to take courses in sculpture and furniture to express himself further. He took his studies to mind and even studied abroad at the Academie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, France. Afterward, he went on to study at the Yale School of Architecture, completing his studies in 1934. Saarinen received critical recognition while still working for his father. His design the “Tulip Chair” won first prize in “Organic Design in Home Furnishings” competition in 1940. His futuristic design took him to further heights as he also won first prize in the 1948 race for the design of the Gateway Arch National Park (now known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) in St. Louis, Missouri. Succeeding in his scheme, Saarinen was able to capture major corporations attention such as John Deere, IBM, and CBS. Asked to design their new headquarters and other corporate establishments.