EERO SAARINEN

SUBMITTED BY:
KAVYA D
6B

LIFE :

Born: August 20, 1910 in

Kirkkonummi, Finland
Died: September 1, 1961. Eero
Saarinen was 51.
FAMILY: Eero Saarinen's father,
Eliel Saarinen, was a prominent
architect.

Hisinmother
loja was
a
Eero grew up
a household
where
drawing and
gifted were
sculptor
and
architectural
painting
taken
very
seriously, and a devotion to
model
maker.
quality
and
professionalism were instilled in him at
an early age.
He was taught that each object should be designed
in its "next largest context - a chair in a room, a room
in a house, a house in an environment, environment
in a city plan.

Saarinen graduated from high school in 1929 and

went to Paris to study sculpture.
Between 1930 and 1934, Eero studied at the Yale
School of Architecture.
From 1939 to 1947 he worked for his father's firm.
For him, "The major concern ...was to create a
monument which would have lasting significance
and would be a landmark of our time... Neither an
obelisk nor a rectangular box nor a dome seemed
right on this site or for this purpose

PHILOSOPHY

He was famous for his varying style according to

demand of the project simple, sweeping, arching,

INTEREST TOWARDS FURNITURE

DESIGNING In late 1930s ,Experimenting with Charles Eames, Eero

Saarinen co-developed new furniture forms and the first

designs for furniture of molded laminated wood.

Saarinen developed a remarkable range which depended on

color, form and material.
He designed furniture with curving, organic shapes.
Examples include the Tulip chair and a collection of Pedestal
tables.
Saarinen said the objective of these furniture designs was
to rid interiors of clutter and clear the "slum of legs" from
the home.

WORKS:

BERKSHIRE MUSIC SHED

GATE WAY ARCH ST.
LOUIS
GENERAL MOTORS TECHNICAL CENTER
MASSACHUSETTS
MISSOURI
WARREN MICHIGAN

TWA NEW YORK

KRESGEY
CHAPEL
CAMBRIDGE

IBM RESEARCH
BUILDING
NEW YORK

NORTH CHRISTIAN
CHURCHCOLOUMBUS,
INDIANA

YALE HOCKEY

RINK,
NEW HAVEN,
CONNECTICUT

DULLES
AIRPORT,
CHANTILY,
VIRGINIA

JOHN DERRE AND

COMPANY

KRESGE
AUDITORIUM

LOCATION CHANTILLY , VARGINIA

DATE - 1958-1962

BUILDING TYPE
AIRLINE TERMINAL
CONSTRUCTION
SYSTEM - CONCRETE
STYLE MODERN
AREA - 11,000 ACRE

 The Arch is known as the

"Gateway to the West".
Designed by FinnishAmerican architect Eero
Saarinen and structural
engineer Hannskarl
Bandel.
It stands 630 feet (192 m)
tall, and is 630 feet (192
m) at its widest point.
The cross-sections of its
legs are equilateral
Each wall consists of a stainless steel
skin covering
triangles,
narrowing from
reinforced concrete from ground level
300
feetm)
(91per
m)side
or at
54 to
feet
(16.5
carbon steel and rebar from 300 feetthe
(91base
m) to
peak.
tothe
17 feet
(5.2 m)
at the top.
The interior of the Arch is hollow and contains a unique
transport system leading to an observation deck at the top.

ST. LOUIS ARCH , MISSOURI

The Arch is known as the "Gateway to the

West".

Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero

Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl
Bandel.
It stands 630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet
(192 m) at its widest point.
The cross-sections of its legs are equilateral
triangles, narrowing from 54 feet (16.5 m) per
side at the base to 17 feet (5.2 m) at the top.
Each wall consists of a stainless steel skin
covering reinforced concrete from ground
level to 300 feet (91 m) or carbon steel and
rebar from 300 feet (91 m) to the peak.
The interior of the Arch is hollow and
contains a unique transport system leading to
an observation deck at the top.
The interior of the Arch also contains two

ENTRANCE TO THE ARCH

Entrance to the Arch is from the

underground George B. Hartzog, Jr.
Visitor Center, located directly
beneath it.
Visitors are carried from the lobby
level below to the observation
platform at the top of the Arch by a
unique conveyance system - a 40passenger train made up of eight
five-passenger capsules in each leg.
Operating at the rate of 340 feet per
min., the ride takes 10 minutes for
the round trip.
The observation platform is 65 feet
by 7 feet, with plate-glass windows
providing views in the east and west
directions.
There is also a conventional

 SECURITY

Visitors pass through security checkpoints at each entrance

to the Arch, before being allowed access to the visitor
center.

TRAM

A unique tram system that combined an elevator cable lift

system with gimbaled cars functionally similar to ferris
wheel gondolas had been installed.

From the visitor center one may move to either base (one on
the north end and the other on the south end) of the Arch
and enter the tramway much as one would enter an ordinary
elevator, through narrow double doors.

Passing through the doors, passengers in groups of five

enter an egg-shaped compartment containing five seats and
a flat floor.

Eight compartments are linked to form a train, meaning that

both trains have a capacity of 40, and that 80 people can be
transported at one time.

These compartments individually retain an appropriate level

by periodically rotating every 5 degrees, which allows them
to maintain the correct orientation while the entire train

OBSERVATION AREA

Near the top of the arch, a rider exits the compartment

and climbs a slight grade to enter the arched observation
area.
Small windows, almost invisible from the ground, allow
views across the Mississippi River and southern Illinois with
its prominent Mississippian culture mounds to the east at
Cahokia, and the City of Saint Louis and St. Louis County to
the west beyond the city.
On a clear day, one can see up to thirty miles. (48 km).

THANK YOU