Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen came to the United States of America in 1923 when he was thirteen years old. He studied sculpture and furniture design under his father at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan where he met and became friends with the noted designers, Charles and Ray Eames, and Florence Knoll. He also attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris and later attended Yale where he studied architecture. Saarinen served in the military and eventually opened up his own architectural firm. He had two children with his first wife and one with his second.

Saarinen became famous for many of his furniture designs including the "Grasshopper" lounge chair and ottoman (1946), the "Womb" chair and ottoman (1948), the "Womb" settee (1950), side and arm chairs (1948-1950), and his most famous "Tulip" or "Pedestal" group (1956), which featured side and arm chairs, dining, coffee and side tables, and a stool. All of these designs went into production with long time friend and business associate Knoll. His Womb chair and his "Tulip" collection have remained in production and are considered “iconic”.

In addition to furniture, Eero Saarinen is now considered one of the “masters of American 20th Century architecture”. Some of his most notable works include the corporate headquarters for General Motors Technical Center, John Deere, IBM, and CBS. He would often feature his own furniture in the buildings such as the Pedestal Series. He designed buildings for different universities including Vassar, Morse College, and Ezra Stiles College at Yale University. Eero Saarinen’s important works also include the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch) in St. Louis, Missouri, the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and the main terminal of Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.