Eero Saarinen. What did you think when you heard that? You probably thought,
Who is that? I have never heard of him. That is not surprising, because he
accomplished many things he is not well known for, unless you do crossword puzzles–
which are filled with unusual information. If you do know who he is, however, it is
probably because of his architecture or his curious furniture. After a very brief overview
of Eero s life the focus will be on his work involving Dulles International Airport.
Eero Saarinen was born on August 20, 1910, in Kirkkonummi, Finland, to Eliel
and Loja Gesellius Saarinen. He and his family moved to the United States and became
naturalized citizens in 1923. His father, who was an architect as well, settled near
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, because there was a lot of architectural work needed in that
area. Eero Saarinen married Lillian Swann in 1939 and had two children, Eric (1942)
and Susan (1945).
Eero and Lillian were divorced however, and he eventually married
Aline Louchheim and they had a boy named Eames (1954).
Saarinen worked on many
great architectural designs and won many awards, among these buildings were Dulles
International Airport, the Master Plan for the University of Michigan, Drake University,
General Motors Technical Center, and Vassar College to name a few. Eero died
September 1, 1961, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after having brain surgery on a tumor
The Essay on Leoh Ming Pei & Eero Saarinen
The architects that I am comparing came from two different parts of the world and yet, in some ways the message(s) behind their work and the incorporation of engineering, geometrical and sculptural elements into their designs and their new identity as “Americans” brings them closer together. Leoh Ming Pei was born in Canton, China in 1917 and came to the United States for his further education. ...
(Saarinen 104).
The airport was originally in Chantilly, Virginia, and was originally called
Washington International Airport but was later named after John Foster Dulles. The
building is 600 feet long and has huge columns that stretch up 65 feet to reach the large
awning that canopies the large terminal. This was the first airport to be built in which the
traveler s convenience was considered in every line drawn on the blueprint (Temko
113-114).
Dulles International Airport was constructed mainly for the use of jets. The
airports odd design is actually quite useful. Saarinen, being a man who traveled
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frequently on airplanes, noticed that airport terminals were spaced quite far from the
runways. In order to get to the plane from a terminal you would have to walk quite a
distance, or you would get shuttled out there on a bus. So when Saarinen designed
Dulles International Airport, he kept that in mind and worked to make it so people could
get on the jet they were taking without having to walk or ride a large distance, causing
them to become agitated (Saarinen 92).
When Saarinen first went public with his sketches for Dulles International Airport
he was criticized by most because he proposed to build the terminal out of concrete.
Most people did not think this could be done because the use of concrete for a hanging
roof was too preposterous to even think about. However, if it could be done it would be
one of the greatest feats of all time. By completing this task, Saarinen proved that even
outrageous ideas can work (Temko 115).
While working on his drawing Saarinen came across a problem: how would the
people get from the giant terminal to the actual jet? Well, he solved this problem by
creating mobile lounges, waiting areas in terminals that were on wheels and could be
moved towards the jet without hassling the passengers. Saarinen sold his idea to some
major companies which helped him build these monstrous lounges on wheels. They did
work, although they were a bit uglier than Saarinen s original design (Temko 115).
Saarinen took his work very seriously and once said about his work on the airport,
Adult Learning Skills Stress Life Work
Do you feel stress in your life? Does this affect the way you live and work? Many things currently going on in one's life, such as work, health, family and finances, can cause stress. It is how we individually identify the root cause and begin working on managing them effectively. As adult learners, there are various aspects of our work life that cause each of us some form of stress. We discovered ...
I think this airport is the best thing I have done. I think it is going to be really good.
Maybe it will even explain what I believe about architecture. Saarinen believed that
anything was possible, including the concrete overhang. The overhang was described as
a concrete hammock swinging between massive concrete trees (Saarinen 95-96).
Dulles International Airport was opened in November of 1962 and was later
expanded upon, still using the ideas of the original designer. This building not only
represents the queer ideas of Eero Saarinen but also the idea that one man can create an
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object that will later affect the way things are made. Now if you look at an airport, you
will almost always find at least one thing that resembles part of Eero Saarinen s ideas for
constructing a concrete building that people thought would never be able to withstand the
weight of its roof.
Eero Saarinen and his work on Dulles International Airport can be compared to
the story of the tortoise and the hare. When Saarinen first proposed what he did, people
thought that it would never happen or that is was not possible but in the end Saarinen
proved them all wrong. In the story of the tortoise and the hare the other animals think
that it is preposterous for a slow turtle to beat a fast hare, but in the end the tortoise
proves them all wrong as well.
