Eero Saarinen
Through his work as an architect and designer, Eero Saarinen was a prime mover in the introduction of modernism into the American mainstream. Particularly affecting were the organic, curvilinear forms seen in Saarinen’s furniture and his best-known structures: the gull-winged TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy airport in New York (opened 1962), Dulles International Airport in Virginia (1962) and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (1965).
Saarinen had a peerless modernist pedigree. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was an eminent Finnish architect who in 1932 became the first head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit. The school became synonymous with progressive design and decorative arts in the United States, and while studying there the younger Saarinen met and befriended several luminaries of mid-century modernism, among them Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames.
At Cranbrook, Saarinen also met Florence Schust Knoll, who, as director of her husband Hans Knoll's eponymous furniture company, would put Saarinen’s best designs into production. These include the Grasshopper chair, designed in 1946 and so named because its angled bentwood frame resembles the insect; the Tulip chair (1957), a flower-shaped fiberglass shell mounted on a cast-aluminum pedestal; and the lushly contoured Womb lounge chair and ottoman (1948). In his furniture as in his architecture, the keynotes of Eero Saarinen’s designs are simplicity, strength and grace.
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- Who is Eero Saarinen?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect and designer. Many people know him as the creator of the St. Louis Gateway Arch completed in 1965. However, he also produced many acclaimed furniture designs, including the Womb chair, Tulip chair and Saarinen pedestal table. Find a selection of Eero Saarinen designs on 1stDibs.
- Where is Eero Saarinen from?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Eero Saarinen was originally from Finland. He was born in Kirkkonummi in 1910. In 1923, his family moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The architect and designer lived in the U.S. for much of the remainder of his life. He died in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1991. Shop a selection of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022No, historians generally consider Eero Saarinen to be a modernist, not a postmodernist. His work shows off the futuristic clean lines that defined the time period. Postmodern architecture and design is more decorative and breaks from the symmetry indicative of modernism. You'll find a selection of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- Who is Eero Saarinen’s father?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Eero Saarinen's father was Eliel Saarinen, a well-known Finnish architect. In 1932, he moved Eero and the rest of the family to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and led the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Find a selection of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To pronounce Eero Saarinen, say "EH-row SAH-ruh-nuhn." Both his first name and surname are of Finnish origin. The architect and designer was born in Kirkkonummi, Finland, on August 20, 1910. Discover a range of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- What did Eero Saarinen design?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Eero Saarinen designed many structures and pieces of furniture during his lifetime. He was the architect for both the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy airport, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, and Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Some of his most famous furniture designs include the Saarinen pedestal table, the Womb chair and the Tulip chair. Shop a collection of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022An Eero Saarinen table is 28.25” high. It comes in a variety of widths, with a 42” round table seating 4 to 5 people. You can shop a selection of Eero Saarinen designs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Eero Saarinen is a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer that worked with a variety of mediums, including steel, glass and concrete. Eero Saarinen is also credited with the creation of some notable styles of furniture, including the Tulip chair. Browse a variety of Eero Saarinen designed furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Eero Saarinen used a variety of materials in his furniture designs. Some of his designs feature hardwood frames, but he didn't work in wood exclusively. His Tulip chair consists of a fiberglass seat mounted on a cast aluminum base. You'll find a range of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Eero Saarinen moved the design firm started by his father from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to Hamden, Connecticut, in1961, but no authoritative sources state why. Most likely, he had a desire to be closer to the campus of Yale University. Saarinen graduated from the post-secondary institution in 1934 and designed buildings on the campus. Find a range of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Historians classify Eero Saarinen as a modern architect due to the characteristics of his designs. Like other modernists, Saarinen employed sweeping curves and futuristic, well-defined lines. Many of the structures he designed are symmetrical. In addition, Saarinen worked in many materials popular during the period, including steel, concrete and glass. Find a collection of Eero Saarinen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Whether you can replace Eero Saarinen chair legs depends on the chair. You can most easily swap out the legs on pieces that feature wooden dowels like the Lilac Organic. You will likely find it more difficult to replace legs on chairs that include metal bases like the Executive arm chair or pedestals like the Tulip. You'll find a collection of Eero Saarinen chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024Eero Saarinen believed that the architect's role was to create structures that enhance daily life and inspire people to consider new possibilities. He thought that buildings should suit their intended purpose well and provide comfortable accommodations while at the same time being aesthetically appealing. Some of his best-known structures include the gull-winged TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, Dulles International Airport in Virginia and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of Eero Saarinen furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024The history of Eero Saarinen's Womb Chair dates back to the late 1940s. It was then that designer and entrepreneur Florence Knoll challenged her friend, Eero Saarinen, to create the most comfortable chair ever made. To succeed at the task, Saarinen sought to evoke what he imagined was the comfortable, secure feeling of being in the womb and set out to design the now iconic chair. Production of the Womb chair began in 1948, and it didn't take long for the seat to become a cultural phenomenon. In the decade following its release, it appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial, a New Yorker magazine cartoon and a Norman Rockwell painting on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. Today, Knoll offers the seat in 15 upholstery options, and when Saarinen's famous TWA terminal reopened as a hotel in 2019, Womb chairs were featured prominently in the guest rooms. Explore a collection of Eero Saarinen Womb chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Eero Saarinen’s famed pedestal chairs, although streamlined in appearance, are crafted with a variety of materials from aluminum and molded fiberglass to the plastic-bonded finish. You can shop a selection of Eero Saarinen pieces from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Historians classify Eero Saarinen's St. Louis Gateway Arch as modern architecture. This is due largely to the simple curving shape of the arch and its perfect symmetry. In addition, the arch reflects Neo-futurism, a forward-looking movement that frequently incorporated steel, concrete and glass. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Eero Saarinen furniture designs.