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Biography

OSS until 1944. 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 colaborator Charles Eames.

Eero Saarinen
coincidentally shared the same birthday as his father, Eliel Saarinen. 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. 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. Beginning in September 1929, he studied sculpture at the Acadmie de la Grande Chaumire in Paris, France.He then went on to study architecture at Yale University, completing his studies in 1934. 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.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). 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
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Kresge Auditorium is an auditorium building for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located at 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed by the noted architectEero Saarinen, with groundbreaking in 1953 and dedication in 1955. It was designed together with the MIT Chapel, the two buildings separated by a "green," referred to by students as the "Kresge Oval." The ensemble is recognized as one of the best examples of midCentury modern architecture in the US. Though unassuming by today's standards, the buildings were part of an attempt to define MIT's social cohesion. The Auditorium was where MIT students and faculty could gather for formal events, the chapel was intended for marriages and memorial; the green that stretches between the two buildings, in the tradition of early-American urban planning, was to serve as the setting for civic events. Though the campus has grown around the buildings, the essential features of this idea are still easily legible. The building was named for its principal funder, Sebastian S. Kresge, founder of Kresge Stores and the Kresge Foundation.

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The auditorium is defined by an elegant thin-shell structure, one-eighth of a sphere rising to a height of 50 feet, and sliced away by sheer glass walls so that it comes to earth on only three points. Thin shelled concrete technology was innovative for the times. The dome weighs only 1200 tons and is clad with copper. Sitting on a circular brick platform, the dome contains a concert hall (with seating for 1226 people), with a lower level that houses a small theater (seating 204), two rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, offices, bathrooms, and lounges. The concert hall also contains a Holtkamp organ. The opening ceremony in 1955, that featured the organ, included a pice of music that was commissioned for the event, Aaron Copland's "Canticle of Freedom." Every seat in concert hall has an unobstructed view since there are no interior supports for the overarching dome. Working with renowned acoustical architects Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Saarinen employed free-hanging acoustic "clouds" that absorb and direct sound, instead of a traditional plaster ceiling. These clouds also contained lights, loudspeakers, and ventilation. While standing on either side of the entry lobby, one can distinctly hear people on the other side speaking in as low a voice as a whisper.

Kresge Auditorium

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TWA Flight Center

Historic Landmark). Gates in the terminal were close to the street and this made it difficult to create centralized ticketing and security checkpoints. This building was the first airline terminal to have closed circuit television, a central p/a system, baggage carousels, an electronic schedule board and precursors to the now ubiquitous baggage weigh-in scales. JFK was rare in the airport industry for having company owned and designed terminals; other airline terminals were built by Eastern Airlines and American Airlines. Individually branded terminals included the Worldport of Pan American World Airways and the Syndrome of National Airlines. Following American Airlines' buyout of TWA in 2001, Terminal 5 went out of service. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had proposed converting the main portion of the building into a restaurant and conference center, but some architectural critics opposed this move. In December 2005, JetBlue, which occupies the adjacent Terminal 6, began construction of an expanded terminal facility, which will utilize the front portion of Saarinen's Terminal 5 as an entry point. The peripheral air-side parts of Terminal 5 have been demolished to make space for a mostly new terminal, which will have 26 gates and is expected to be complete by 2008. The building is under restoration and expansion by JetBlue.

The TWA Flight Center Building - thin-shell structure by Eero Saarinen

JetBlue Flight Center formerly TWA Flight Center was the original name for the Eero Saarinen designed Terminal 5 at Idle wild Airport later called John F. Kennedy International Airport for Trans World Airlines. The terminal had a futuristic air; The interior had wide glass windows that opened onto parked TWA jets; departing passengers would walk to planes through round, red-carpeted tubes. It was a far different structure and form than Saarinen's design for the current main terminal of Washington Dulles International Airport, which utilized mobile lounges to take passengers to airplanes. Design of the terminal was awarded to Detroit-based Eero Saarinen and Associates. It was completed in 1962 and is the airport's most famous landmark (as well as being a National
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Views of the entrance

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The flowing, curvilinear forms which define this airport terminal align this work with expressionist architecture. The forms symbolically suggest flight. Interior spaces are also open and flowing.

The TWA terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport was designed to express movement and transition. Its designer, architect Eero Saarinen aimed at creating dynamic space, a dramatic environment with associations to the excitement of travel. The structure consists of four interacting vaulted domes supported on four Y-shaped columns. Together, the domes form a vast, umbrella-like shell curving over the passenger areas, fifty feet high and 315 feet long. In spite of being made of concrete, the construction gives a sense of lightness and airiness. This results from the consistent use of upward-soaring curves in the vaults and columns and also from the bands of skylights at the junctures of the vaults. Seen from a distance, the curves of the vault structure take the shape of a bird extending its wings. The building and all its spaces and elements, make up a total environment where every detail belongs to the same family of forms, consistently repeated in passenger counters, information boards, railings etc. It is one instance of Saarinen's idea of the necessity of extending architecture to the total of physical
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Reinforced concrete makes these wing-like "sails" possible.

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surroundings and to design every object taking into account the way it relates to its neighboring objects, small and large.

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The MIT Chapel (dedicated

1955) is a nondenominational chapel designed by noted architect Eero Saarinen. It is located on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, next to Kresge Auditorium and Kresge Oval, which Saarinen also designed, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Though a small building, it is often noted as a successful example of mid-Century modern architecture in the US. Saarinen also designed the landscaping surrounding all three. Leland M. Roth included the building in his History of American Architecture, using it to illustrate the contrast between Saarinen's approach and that of Mies (who designed a chapel for IIT). Roth said that "through the sheer manipulation of light and the its focus on a blazingly white marble altar block, Saarinen created a place of mystic quiet."

From the outside the chapel is a simple, windowless brick cylinder set inside a very shallow concrete moat. It is 50 feet in diameter and 30 feet high, and topped by an aluminum spire. The brick is supported by a series of low arches. Saarinen chose bricks that were rough and imperfect to create a textured effect. The whole is set in two groves of birch trees, with a long wall to the east, all designed by Saarinen. The wall and trees provides a uniform background for the Chapel, and isolates the site from the noise and bustle of adjacent buildings.

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Within is a remarkably intimate space, stunning in its immediate visual impact. Windowless interior walls are undulating brick. Like a cascade of light, a full-height metal sculpture by Harry Bertoia glitters from the circular skylight down to a small, unadorned marble altar. Natural light filters upward from shallow slits in the walls catching reflected light from the moat; this dim ambient light is complemented by artificial lighting.The chapel's curving spire and bell tower was designed by the sculptor Theodore Roszak and was added in 1956. The chapel has an excellent organ that was custom-designed for the space by Walter Holtkamp of the Holtkamp Organ Company, located in Cleveland, Ohio. Holtkamp was instrumental in the 1950s, in the revival of the classic school of organ-building.

Dulles International Airport Terminal

Chantilly, Virginia. USA Eero Saarinen & Associates, architects

History The Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, is considered as one of Eero Saarinen's most expressive edifices. Built in the 1960's, the Dulles Airport is unique in that it was planned for the jet airplane from the start. Extensive research d etermined its compact layout and circulation. One interesting innovation is the mobile lounge, one that brings the passenger to the plane rather than vice versa; an attempt to cut down on the extensive cost of taxiing the planes. The concept of the mobile lounge made it possible for the terminal to be a single, compact building. Saarinen decided that the terminal should have a monumental scale (not to mention form) in the landscape and in the vastness of the airfield.
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Physical Description

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The massive steel reinforced concrete roof is supported by a row of columns forty feet apart on each side of the concourse, sixty-five feet high on the approach side and forty feet high on the field side, giving it its distinct catenary shape. It is made of light suspension bridge cables between which concrete roof panels fit. The concrete piers slope outward to counteract the pull of the cables. "Saarinen exaggerated this outward slope as well as the compressive flange at the rear of the columns, in o rder to give the colonnade a dynamic and soaring look." (1) Steel mullions coupled with quarter inch plate glass form a curtain wall, neoprene gaskets provide an airtight seal. Stainless steel gashing gives an elegant touch to its perimeter. The end w alls require stronger mullions than the short, curved segments of the side walls. Trussed members were used to minimize weight and visual bulk. Some special features of the building design include the marked difference between structural fact and structural expression. What appears to be the long edges of the roof are parts of the supporting structure from which the roof is hung. Contrary to it s appearance, the roof and its supports are entirely separate elements. Saarinen expresses the roof form as an element that is
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hung from hook-like piers, although the break between the roof and supports is not in fact where it is expressed. Here, Saarin en definitely breaks the conventions of 'form follows function', although in an elegant way. Due to the catenary shape of the roof, a roof drain shaped like an ocarina was incorporated in the center. Altogether the building lends itself to an aesthetically pleasing "swooshing" form characteristic of flight and lightness, an expressive form very appropriate for an airport terminal. Building Process We began examining the building from the ground up, taking into account the process in which the loads both dead and live travel to the earth. Upon our investigation we found that the massive columns support the structure on the surface, while hidden fro m our eyes, underground were also massive footings that transfer loads to the earth. Hence, our building process began at the ground. Our choice of materials were white foam core laminated between two skins of white museum board to represent the reinforced concrete. At the basement we placed four footings that sprout up into four columns. By taking a bay of the entire structure, we were able to focus our attention on the details. We noticed that the roof is not one continuous structure, but it is actually hung from the closest part of the columns. We decided to exaggerate that effect (unlike Saarinen), we actually hung our roof. We also decided to show a cut away section of the roof, because the actual construction is of tension cables with inlaid concrete panels. The mullions were

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left out because they were non-structural, as was the glass. We also noticed that the columns flange out on the surface to give the effect of lateral support, but this does not follow through in the footing. This lead us to believe that the lateral support must be taken up in the rigidity of the roof. Structural Description/Aspects The suspended roof structure is made up of lightweight suspension bridge cables in between which are placed concrete roof tiles. The cables are suspended on each end by massive reinforced concrete piers. These piers slant outward to resist the tension i n the cable, thus giving the roof it's catenaries shape. A distributed load that finds itself atop this structure is transferred horizontally to the piers. The shallow roof curve means that the horizontal force is greater than the vertical force at the pier connections. Therefore, the piers lean out to counteract this horizontal force. The vertical component is then transferred down the pier, staying within the middle third of the section. The pier gets progressively wider at the base to incorporate this line of action, as well as to resist the greatest moment force on the structure. These piers can be seen as cantilevers jutting out vertically into space, their profiles decrease the further out they span.
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At the ground, the load is then dispersed out into the soil via massive foundations. These splay outward similar to the roots of trees to resist the moment force implied by the load at this base point. Curiously, the foundations do not take on the same profile as the splaying columns, this might indicate the lateral load implied by the columns is taken up possibly in the roof. The long axis of the piers are in line with the horizontal force, this orientation maximizes the pier's resistance to any bending force that might be acting on it. This system of cantilevers and catenaries leaves the inside space free of columns or any other forms of barriers. A space that can change with the expansion of the airport. Our hypotheses about how the reinforced concrete piers function are, as well as being a esthetic, adds weight and helps to maintain the force vector within the middle third of the pier.

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The low profile of the Dulles airport helps to resist any lateral loading as well as the leaning piers that support the roof. A lateral wind force acting on the structure will be directed downward through the piers since the windows are at the same angle as the supports. The wind load will be broken up into a horizontal component that is counteracted by the force of the leaning piers, and the remaining vertical component will be directed to the ground. A lateral load acting perpendicular to the strong axis of the columns will be resisted in part by their large foundations, but also by the concrete panels of the roof. This is apparent by the pseudo splaying of the columns. The panels together form a massive horizontal plane that resists any lateral force.

The North Christian Church

The North Christian Church is a church in Columbus, Indiana. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The church building of 1964 was designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen (19101961) and completed in 1964. The church was the last building designed by Saarinen before his death. Saarinen's father, Eliel Saarinen had designed the First Christian Church in Columbus. The building is hexagonal in shape, with a central spire which is 192 feet (59 m) high. Below the spire, there is an oculus that admits light into the main level. The sanctuary is located at the center of the building, with the altar located in the center of the sanctuary. Rows of pews surround the altar in a circle pattern, reflecting the idea that worship should be a "central" aspect of the life of the congregation. The lower level contains classrooms, an auditorium, a kitchen and an activities area.

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About Deere & Company World Headquarters

The Deere & Company World Headquarters is located at One John Deere Place in Moline, Illinois, just off IL-5/John Deere Road. It's approximately 3.5 miles east of the intersection of I74 and IL-5.

The Deere & Company World Headquarters is located on 1,400 acres of beautifully kept land and is home to a variety of wildlife including white tail deer, ducks, geese and swans. The display floor of the World Headquarters is open to visitors 365 days a year, from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Visitors can look at displays of antique John Deere equipment, and get up close and personal with a variety of the company's new equipment offerings. They'll also find a selection of product literature. The display floor also features a three-dimensional mural by Alexander Girard. The mural contains 2200 authentic pieces of memorabilia dating from 1837-1918, spanning the company's first 75 years of operation.

History of Deere & Company's World Headquarters

In the mid-1950s, William Hewitt, then President of Deere & Company, was under pressure to move his company's headquarters from Moline, Ill., to New York or San Francisco. Hewitt resisted the idea, but agreed that if the firm were to remain in Moline, it needed a distinctive new building for its head office.

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In 1956, Hewitt selected Eero Saarinen to design this new headquarters, a choice Hewitt made after careful consideration. Hewitt first visited two buildings that Saarinen had designed, the new auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the General Motors Technical Center near Detroit, Michigan, before settling on the architect to design his company's new building. Hewitt emphasized that, while he wanted a headquarters that was unique, it must reflect the character of the company and its employees. "The several buildings should be thoroughly modern in concept but should not give the effect of being especially sophisticated or glossy. Instead, they should be more 'down to earth' and rugged," he wrote. What Saarinen designed was a complex of three buildings. The main office building, which is seven stories high, rises from the floor of a wooded ravine and faces two ponds. A glass-enclosed bridge connects the main building to a product-display building and a 400-seat auditorium. Saarinen satisfied Hewitt's instruction that the buildings look down to earth by using Cor-ten steel for the exterior structure of the building. Cor-ten, a material that resists corrosion by forming a protective coating of iron oxide, develops an earthy color as it ages, much like newly plowed soil. Developed for railroad track construction and other uses, this marked the first use of Cor-ten in an architectural application.

Tragically, Saarinen never saw his vision become a reality. He died in 1961, just four days after the contracts for the new building were signed. Kevin Roche, one of his associates, completed the project. The new building, which initially housed about 900 employees, opened its doors for business on April 20, 1964.

Building Material
Developed for railroad track construction and other structural applications like bridges, Deere & Company's World Headquarters was the first use of Cor-ten in an architectural application. Cor-ten is U.S. Steel's trade name for a corrosion-resistant, or weathering, steel that forms a protective coating of iron oxide when exposed to the atmosphere. This rust layer becomes protective when fine crystals of early rust recrystalize to form a dense barrier that retards further corrosion. In contrast, other steels tend to form a layer of oxidation that is porous, flaky and penetrable by the elements.

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