Eero Saarinen

whoops...it's been awhile hasn't it?! well...the crazy summer is over and i'm ready to get back to the blogging world.  today i want to post about none other than the eero saarinen.


the inspiration for todays post:
i just spent the last six weeks in nyc doing an internship with amanda nisbet (next post to be on that).  of course the city could inspire me to post on several different designers/architects, etc. which i'm sure will happen, but one of my favorite things was seeing the twa terminal at jfk airport again. and that is where we will begin with saarinen...


eero saarinen was commissioned to design the twa terminal in 1956.  eero was particularly interested in different materials and created several models for the project before moving forward.  the building was to emulate "a bird taking off in flight".  which it does.  the building was fabulous and had a very futuristic look with wide glass windows and the appearance of being concrete...the material was actually a web of reinforced steel which was then covered by concrete. this building was a building of "firsts" for america:


first baggage carousel
first electronic schedule
first electronic board
first p.a. system

eero was the son of eilio saarinen which basically foreordained him to be an architect. however he first went to paris to be a sculptor but a year later he enrolled at yale and became an architect.  he was fresh and intriguing for his time and many considered him a genius...and lets face it, he basically is, this is why:

the tulip pedestal group.
still found in so many designs today.
seriously...look it up.
i want them myself, and dont you?

recognize this?
bet you didn't know this was eero's work.
did i mention he won the rights to this project
over 200 other applicants?

thats about all i have today for eero. although i could go on and on i dont want to bore you with all of the stories. and as i've said before...if you want to know more, look him up! i'll post again soon, i'm turning over a new leaf.


xoxo rach