presentation on eero

1. RIMT-COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
BHAVYA SAHNI AKANSHA(02)
ANGADVEER(05)
ARPIT MEHTA(08)
DIKSHA CHUGH(15)
ISHMINDER(37)

2. INTRODUCTION
 Eero Saarinen(August 20, 1910) was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of
the 20th century famous for shaping.
 Eero Saarinen, the son of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and his second wife, Louise, was
born on his father's 37th birthday, August 20, 1910. They immigrated to the United States of
America in 1923, when Eero was thirteen.
 He grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where his father was a teacher at the Cranbrook
Academy of Art and he took courses in sculpture and furniture design there.
Bloomfield Hills, Cranbrook Academy
Michigan of Art
 Beginning in September 1929, he studied sculpture at the Academi de la Grande
Chaumiere in Paris, France. He then went on to study at the Yale School of Architecture,
completing his studies in 1934.

3.  He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1940.
 Saarinen was recruited by Donal McLaughlin, an architectural school friend from his
Yale days, 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 OSS until 1944. After his father's death in 1950,
Saarinen founded his own architect's office, "Eero Saarinen and Associates".
PERSONAL LIFE :
 Saarinen had two children, Eric and Susan, from his marriage to sculptor Lilian Swann
Saarinen, whom he married in 1939.
 Following their divorce in 1953, he married Aline Bernstein Louchheim (March 25, 1914 –
July 13, 1972), an art critic at The New York Times, in 1954. They had a son, Eames.

4. REPUTATION:
 Eero Saarinen was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1952.
 He is also a winner of the AIA Gold Medal in 1962.
 Saarinen is now considered one of the masters of American 20th-century architecture.
 There has been a surge of interest in Saarinen's work in recent years, including a major
exhibition and several books because Saarinen's work can be said to fit in with present-day
concerns.
 He was criticized in his own time—for having no identifiable style;Saarinen adapted
his neofuturistic vision to each individual client and project, which were never exactly the
same.
DEATH:
Saarinen died in Ann Arbor, MI while overseeing the completion of a new music
building for the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
He died while undergoing an operation for a brain tumor at the age of 51. His wife
Aline, coincidentally, would die of the same ailment.
His partners, Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, completed his 10 remaining projects,
including the St. Louis Arch.

5. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY AND STYLES
 Eero learned to appreciate the symbiotic relationship between individuals and
communities and came to know that interests of both must be carefully considered in
design process.
 He developed a remarkable range which depended on colour, form and material.
 He showed a marked dependence on innovative structures and sculptural forms but not
at the cost of pragmatic considerations.
 He utilize a vocabulary of curves and cantilever forms.
INTERNATIONAL STYLES-
Unornamented style that emphasized geometric shapes viewing it as architecture for the
modern age, utilizing new construction techniques and materials.
Flat roof, asymmetrical and with bands of window set into a rectangular form.

6. DESIGN PHILOSOPHY AND STYLES
CLASSICAL ECLECTICISM- Classical eclecticism rejected irregularity and seeks to
restore, unity and restraint to architecture and interiors.
Its four main styles emulate past examples and display monumental planning while using
contemporary materials:
Beaux Arts: Symmetry, rustication, smooth upper storeys,
Advancing and receding planes, columns, dramatic skylines.

7. (b)Neo renaissance: Large in scale, rectangular block forms, rusticated lower stories,
arched openings, quoning, flat or low pitched roofs.
(c)Chateauesque: Vertical and picturesque, asymmetry, smooth stone walls,
Pointed arch openings, pinnacles.
(d)Neoclassical revival: Rusticated basements, flat roof, symmetry, greek order,
columns and pilasters, limited ornament.

8. Works of Ar.Eero Sarrienen

10. GATEWAY ARCH
Building in St. Louis, Missouri
 Location :100 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri,
United States
 Construction : February 12, 1963; 52 years
started ago
Completed : October 28, 1965; 49 years ago.
 Inaugurated : May 25, 1968; 47 years ago
 Height : 630 feet
 Architectural style:Structural expressionism
 Added to NRHP : May 28, 1987
 Added to NHL :May 28, 1987

11. INTRODUCTION:
 The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot (192 m) monument in St. Louis in the U.S. state of Missouri. Clad in
stainless steel and built in the form of an inverted, weighted catenary arch, it is the world's
tallest arch, the tallest monument in the Western Hemisphere, and Missouri's tallest accessible
building. It is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and has become an
internationally famous symbol of St. Louis.
 The arch sits at the site of St. Louis' founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
 The Gateway Arch was designed in $13 million (equivalent to $180 million in 2013). The monument
opened to the public on June 10, 1967.
BACKGROUND:
Inception and early funding (1933–1935):
Around late 1933, civic leader Luther Ely Smith, returning to St. Louis from the George Rogers Clark
National Historical Park in Vincennes, Indiana, saw the St. Louis riverfront area and envisioned that
building a memorial there would both revive the riverfront and stimulate the economy. He
communicated his idea to mayor Bernard Dickmann, who on December 15, 1933, raised it in a
meeting with city leaders. They sanctioned the proposal, and the nonprofit Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial Association (JNEMA—pronounced "Jenny May")was formed. Smith was
appointed chairman and Dickmann vice chairman. The association's goal was to create:

12.  A suitable and permanent public memorial to the men who made possible the western territorial
expansion of the United States, and thereby to bring before the public of this and future generations
the history of our development and induce familiarity with the patriotic accomplishments of these
great builders of our country.
 The association expected that $30 million would be needed to undertake the construction
of such a monument.
 The suggestion to renew the riverfront was not original, as previous projects were
attempted but lacked popularity. The Jefferson memorial idea emerged amid the
economic disarray of the Great Depression and promised new jobs. The project was
expected to create 5,000 jobs for three to four years.
 Meanwhile, in December, the JNEMA discussed organizing an architectural competition to
determine the design of the monument. Local architect Louis Le Beaume had drawn up
competition guidelines by January 1935. On April 13, 1935, the commission certified
JNEMA's project proposals, including memorial perimeters, the "historical significance" of
the memorial, the competition, and the $30 million budget

13. Design competition (1945–1948)
 The steel monument one sees today—carbon steel on the interior, stainless steel on the
exterior, and concrete in-filling, with an equilateral-triangle-shaped section that tapers
from 54 to 17 feet at the top, and the concept of a skin that is also structure—is in
essence [Saarinen's] competition design.
 Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future, 2006
 In November 1944, Smith discussed with Newton Drury, the National Park Service
Director, the design of the memorial, "one central feature: a single shaft, a building, an
arch, or something else that would symbolize American culture and civilization.“
 They planned to award cash for the best design.
 Saarinen's team included himself as designer, J. Henderson Barr as associate designer,
and Dan Kiley as landscape architect, as well as Lily Swann Saarinen as sculptor and
Alexander Girard as painter. In the first stage of the competition, Carl Milles advised
Saarinen to change the bases of each leg to triangles instead of squares. Saarinen said
that he "worked at first with mathematical shapes, but finally adjusted it according to
the eye." At submission, Saarinen's plans laid out the arch at 509 feet (155 m) tall and 592
feet (180 m) wide from center to center of the triangle bases.

14.  Saarinen changed the height of the arch from 580 feet to 630 feet (190 m). He wanted
the landscape surrounding the arch to "be so densely covered with trees that it will be a
forest-like park, a green retreat from the tension of the downtown city”.
 The placement of the five sets of railroad tracks into
a shortened tunnel 100 feet west of the trestle,
with the tracks being lowered sixteen feet.
This did not mean that the memorial would
be cut off from the river, however, for Saarinen
provided a 960-foot-long (290 m) tunnel to be placed over the railroad where a "grand
staircase" rose from the levee to the Arch. At the north and south ends of the park, 150-foot
tunnels spanned the tracks, and led to the overlook museum, restaurant, and stairways
down to the levee. Saarinen designed a subterranean visitor center the length of the
distance between the legs, to include two theaters and an entrance by inward-sloping
ramps.
 On March 10, 1959, mayor Raymond Tucker proposed that they drop "the tunnel idea in
favor of open cuts roofed with concrete slabs”.

15. Zoning, start of railroad move, and appropriation (1959–1968)
 In April 1959, real estate developer Lewis Kitchen decided to construct two 40-level
edifices across from the arch.
 In July, after the plan was condemned for its potential obstruction of the arch, Kitchen
discussed the issue with officials. A decision was delayed for several months because
Saarinen had yet to designate the arch's height, projected between 590 and 630 feet
(180 and 190 m).
 By October, Mayor Tucker and Director Wirth resolved to restrict the height of buildings
opposite the arch to 275 feet (84 m) (about 27 levels), and the city stated that plans for
buildings opposite the arch would require its endorsement. Kitchen then decreased the
height of his buildings, while Saarinen increased that of the arch.
 Moving the railroad tracks was the first stage of the project. On May 6, 1959, after an
official conference, the Public Service Commission called for ventilation to accompany
the tunnel's construction, which entailed "placing 3,000 feet of dual tracks into a tunnel
105 feet west of the elevated railroad, along with filling, grading, and trestle work”.

16. Construction
 The bidding date, originally December 20, 1961, was postponed to January 22, 1962, to
clarify the details of the arch construction.
 In 1959, ground was broken, and in 1961, the foundation of the structure was
laid. Construction of the arch itself began on February 12, 1963, as the first steel triangle
on the south leg was eased into place. These steel triangles, which narrowed as they
spiraled to the top, were raised into place by a group of cranes and derricks. The arch
was assembled of 142-foot-long (3.7 m) prefabricated stainless steel sections. Once in
place, each section had its double-walled skin filled with concrete, prestressed with
252 tension bars. In order to keep the partially completed legs steady, a scissors truss was
placed between them at 530 feet (160 m), later removed as the derricks were taken
down. The whole endeavor was expected to be completed by fall 1964, in observance
of St. Louis' bicentennial.
 Contractor MacDonald Construction Co. arranged a 30-foot (9.1 m) tower for
spectators and provided recorded accounts of the undertaking. In 1963, a million
people went to observe the progress, and by 1964, local radio stations began to
broadcast when large slabs of steel were to be raised into place.
 The project manager of MacDonald Construction Co., Stan Wolf, said that a 62-story
building was easier to build than the arch: "In a building, everything is straight up, one
thing on top of another. In this arch, everything is curved."

17. * President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mayor Alfonso J. Cervantes decided on a date for the topping out ceremony , but the
arch had not been completed by then. The ceremony date was reset to October 17, 1965, and workers strained to meet the
deadline, taking double shifts, but by October 17, the arch was still not complete.
* On October 28, the arch was topped out.
*A Catholic priest and a rabbi prayed over the keystone, a 10-short-ton (9.1 t), eight-foot-long (2.4 m) triangular section.
* Thermal expansion had constricted the 8.5-foot (2.6 m) gap at the top by 5 inches (13 cm).To mitigate this, workers used fire
hoses to spray water on the surface of the south leg to cool it down and make it contract. The keystone was inserted in
13 minutes, only 6 inches (15 cm) remained. For the next section, a hydraulic jack had to pry apart the legs six feet (1.8 m).
The last section was left only 2.5 feet (0.76 m). By 12:00 p.m., the keystone was secured. Some filmmakers, in hope that the
two legs would not meet, had chronicled every phase of construction.
The arch's visitor center opened on June 10, 1967, and the tram began operating on July 24.

18. LIGHTING
 In July 1998, funding for an arch lighting system at night was approved by St. Louis'
Gateway Foundation.
 In January 1999, MSNBC arranged a temporary lighting system for the arch so the
monument could be used as the background for a visit by Pope John Paul II.
 Since November 2001, the arch has been bathed in white light between 10 p.m. and
1 a.m. via a system of floodlights. Designed by Randy Burkett, it comprises 44 lighting
fixtures situated in four pits just below ground level.
Visitor center
The 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m2) center is located directly below the arch, between its
legs. Although construction on the visitor center began at the same time as construction
for the arch itself. Access to the visitor center is provided through ramps adjacent to
each leg of the arch.
The center houses offices, mechanical rooms, and waiting areas for the arch trams, as
well as its main attractions: the Museum of Westward Expansion and two theaters
displaying films about the arch.

19. Observation area
 Near the top of the Arch, passengers exit the tram compartment and climb a slight grade
to enter the observation area. This arched deck, 65 feet (20 m) long and 7 feet (2.1 m)
wide, can hold about 160 people, four trams' worth. Sixteen windows per side, each
measuring 7 by 27 inches (180 mm × 690 mm), offer views up to 30 miles (48 km). to the
east across the Mississippi River and southern Illinois with its prominent Mississippian
culture mounds at Cahokia Mounds, and to the west over the city of St. Louis and St. Louis
County beyond.
Modes of ascension:
 There are three modes of transportation up the arch: two sets of 1,076-step emergency stairs
(one in each leg), a 12-passenger elevator to the 372-foot (113 m) height, and a tram in each
leg.
 Each tram is a chain of eight cylindrical, five-seat compartments with a small window on the
doors. As each tram has a capacity of 40 passengers and there are two trams, 80 passengers
can be transported at one time, with trams departing from the ground every 10 minutes. The
cars swing like Ferris-wheel cars as they ascend and descend the arch. This fashion of
movement gave rise to the idea of the tram as "half-Ferris wheel and half-elevator." The trip to
the top takes four minutes, and the trip down takes three minutes.

20. Awards and recognitions
 In 1966, the arch was given a Special Award for Excellence from the American Institute of Steel
Construction for being "an outstanding achievement in technology and aesthetics.
 "On February 9, 1967, the arch received the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement
Award of 1967 from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The arch was once among Travel +
Leisure's unofficial rankings for the most-visited attraction in the world, after Lenin's Tomb, Disney
World, Disneyland, and the Eiffel Tower.
 On February 22, 1990, the arch received the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) Twenty-Five
Year Award for its "enduring significance that has withstood the test of time." It was declared "a
symbolic bridge between East and West, past and future, engineering and art" that "embodies
the boundless optimism of a growing nation." In 2007, the arch was ranked fourteenth on the
AIA's "America's Favorite Architecture" list.
Maintenance
• Repair damage from vandalism. The arch was first targeted by graffiti artists on March 5, 1969.
• In 2010, signs of corrosion were reported at the upper regions of the stainless steel surface.
Carbon steel in the north leg has been rusting, possibly a result of water accumulation, a side
effect of leaky welds in an environment that often causes rain inside. Maintenance workers use
mops and a temporary setup of water containers to ease the problem. According to NPS
documents, the corrosion and rust pose no safety concerns.

22. NORTH CHRISTIAN CHURCH
COLUMBUS,INDIANA
 Location : 850 Tipton LN, Columbus, Indiana
 Architectural Style: Modern
Modernism in architecture
Landscape architecture
 Added to NRHP :16 May 2000
 Added to NHL :16 May 2000

23. INTRODUCTION
 The North Christian Church is a church in Columbus, Indiana. Founded in 1955, The
church building of 1964 was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero
Saarinen (1910–1961) and completed in 1964. Saarinen's father Eliel Saarinen had
designed the First Christian Church in Columbus.
 The building is hexagonal in shape, with a central metal 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 hexagon, 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.
History
 In 1955, 43 members of the First Christian Church, designed by Eliel Saarinen, decided to
found a new church affiliated with the Disciples of Christ. After some time of worshiping
in each other’s homes, in 1956 they purchased 5 ½ acres of land with the help of Irwin
Miller. Although Miller wanted to hire Eero Saarinen to design the new church,

24. Symbolism in design
PRELIMINARY SKETCH FINAL SKETCH
 Saarinen believed that modern churches had lost the monumentality of traditional cathedrals because
expansions with Sunday schools, gymnasiums, and kitchens took away from the significance of the
church itself. He desired to design a building that returned to the model of a traditional church, while still
using Modern architecture that served the needs of the congregation.
 His compromise was to move the school, meeting rooms, auditorium, and kitchen to a hidden
basement, so that the only visible part of the church above ground was the sanctuary. Space for the
basement was literally carved out of the earth in a hexagonal shape, reflecting the sanctuary above it.
This emphasized the importance of the church itself and isolated the sanctuary as the most important
part of the building.
 He wanted to interact the visitor with the architecture and work to reach the sanctuary. He thought that
building an entire church on one level made religion “too easy”, and took away from the spiritual
experience of going to church. Therefore, he chose to elevate the sanctuary of the church to people
had to climb up a set of stair to reach it. This way the church also stood out from its residential
neighborhood

25. CONSTRUCTION

26. Sanctuary
 The act of entering a church was important to Saarinen so the environment changes to reflect the
change of attitude one has when entering a sacred space. The grey slate floors, dark
mahogany pews, and eerie natural lighting instill a sense of awe in the visitor. The primary light source
into the sanctuary is the oculus at the base of the spire, directly above the Communion table. This
focus of light draws attention to the center of the room, where the Communion takes place.
 The room was designed as a space where people can gather in unity and harmony in an enclosed
spiritual world. The Communion table, consisting of twelve pedestals symbolic of the twelve disciples, is
placed on a tiered platform. The highest pedestal at the end of the table represents Christ, and hold a
silver chalice and loaf of bread for the service. It is the central focus of the sanctuary.
 The pulpit, choir loft, and a Holtkamp organ is situated opposite the main entrance into the sanctuary.
The organ is the last of its kind designed by Walter Holtkamp Sr.

27. Spire
 Saarinen designed the long, angular, symmetrical sanctuary and the 192-foot tall spire in one single
stroke:
 On this site, with this kind of central plan, I think I would like to make the church really all one form: all
the tower. There would be the gradual building up of the sheltering, hovering planes becoming the
spire. The spire would not be put on a box or come up from the sides of the roof. The whole thing, all
the planes, would grow up organically into the spire.
 From the outside of the building, the spire symbolized reaching upwards to God; on the inside, it
created an enclosed soaring space for the congregation. The church was intended to remove man
from the earthly world, so instead of being anchored to the ground with solid rectangles, Saarinen
used pointed angular forms that hover and point to the heavens. At the top of the spire is a 5' 30" gold
leaf cross, symbolizing Christ’s sacrifice.

28. Baptistery
 The baptistery is a small space, decorated with a sunburst design, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. It is
separate from the main sanctuary, designed to give the ceremony more dignity. The separation
between the baptistery and sanctuary also recalls the tradition of the Early Christian church, when only
those who were baptized could attend Communion.
Influence
The North Christian Church was one of the most copied buildings from the mid-twentieth century. Although
it did not generate much interest during Saarinen’s life, the decades that followed produced copies of the
building all across the America. It was the last building Saarinen designed before his death, and he thought
it was one of his greatest achievements:
When I face St. Peter I am able to say that out of the buildings I did during my lifetime, one of the best was
this little church, because it has in it a real spirit that speaks forth to all Christians as a witness to their faith.

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31. EERO SAARINEN’S HOUSE AND GARDEN
 Welcome to Saarinen House, the restored
home of Finnish-American designers Eliel
and Loja Saarinen. Saarinen House
exemplifies Eliel Saarinen’s belief that
every aspect of design should work in
harmony— from the plan of a city to
the architecture of a house and its smallest
details—even the silverware pattern.
 By combining ideas from the Arts and
Crafts Movement with more modern Art
Deco elements, and through careful use
of related colors and repeated geometric
shapes, the Saarinens designed their house
to be a total work of art.

32. Saarinen House and its Restoration
Saarinen began designing his house at Cranbrook in 1928, and he and Loja moved
into their completed home in fall 1930. It was built concurrently with the adjoining
house where sculptor Carl Milles lived, and the cost to build both was $140,000—
considerably more than the typical cost of $6,250 for a Detroit-area four-bedroom
house of brick and stone. The Saarinens’ son Eero, however, had a designated
bedroom where he stayed when on break from studying at Yale University (1931-
1934; B.F.A., 1934). Eero’s bedroom became a guest room when he married in
1939. After Eliel died in 1950 and Loja moved out in 1951, subsequent presidents of
Cranbrook Academy of Art lived in the house and made many changes. Finally, in
1977, Roy Slade became President of the Academy and initiated a process of
restoration. The full restoration took place between 1988 and 1994, under the
direction of Art Museum Curator and current Director Gregory Wittkopp, and
returned the house to its appearance in the mid-1930s after the Saarinens had
added the finishing touches.

33. Saarinen House Exterior
Architecture and Landscaping
 [ 1 ] Each building on Academy Way, including Saarinen House, has different, unique patterns in its brick-
work, doors and windows.
 [ 2 ] On the south side of the house, a covered
walkway connecting Eliel Saarinen’s architecture
studio to those of the Academy physically
embodies his idea that Academy students and
faculty should live and work in close proximity
with each other.
 [ 3 ] The paved courtyard served as an outdoor room
where the Saarinens entertained guests. French doors
leading to the studio and dining room minimize the
distinction between indoor and outdoor spaces.
[ 4 ] The statue in the center of the courtyard is Kivi’s Muse, by Finnish sculptor Wäino Aaltonen (1894-1966).
Aleksis Kivi (1834-1872) was Finland’s most prominent poet, with a status equivalent to Shakespeare.
 [ 5 ] Ivy softens the walls and gives them texture and color, much as the wall hangings do inside the
house.

34. The Living Room and Book Room
 The living room and book room combine elements of Art Deco design with ideas drawn from the Arts and Crafts Movement
and ultimately from the Saarinens’ Finnish heritage. Despite these varied sources, the Saarinens’ use of related colors and
geometric motifs unifies the design. The spacious proportions and formal layout of the living room are well suited to its use as a
reception hall where the Saarinens hosted parties.
 [ 6 ] The book room is a smaller, cozier space where the Saarinens and perhaps a guest or two could enjoy the late
afternoon sun during their daily coffee break.
 [ 7 ] All of the wooden furniture in these two spaces was handcrafted at Cranbrook by Swedish cabinetmaker Tor Berglund
using Eliel’s designs, except for the globe stand (designed by the Saarinens’ son-in-law J. Robert F. Swanson). Such fine
craftsmanship was an ideal of the Arts and Crafts Movement, but the exotic woods are characteristic of Art Deco and
include greenheart, African walnut, rosewood and ebony.
 [ 8 ] The rug’s pattern and colors echo the exterior brickwork, the chair upholstery, and the rows of books in the book room.
It forms an axis leading the eye toward the fireplace and wall hanging, but intentionally is slightly off center, making it
seem less static. Like most of the other textiles in the room, it was designed by Loja Saarinen and woven at Studio Loja
Saarinen.
 [ 9 ] The sofa is based on a Finnish tradition in which rugs were draped onto the floor so they could be folded up over the
sitter’s feet and lap for warmth. Here, however, the rug is decorative rather than functional.

35. The Dining Room
 Eliel Saarinen took into account every aspect of the dining room design, choosing rich, warm colors and repeating squares, octagons
and circles to unify the design. The dining room was the perfect space for the elegant luncheons, teas and dinner parties the
Saarinens frequently hosted.
 [ 10 ] The room is actually square, but is made octagonal by the four corner niches. These complement the room with dramatic
bursts of a color that the Saarinens called Chinese red.
 [ 11 ] The rug is square with a pattern of concentric octagons that resembles snowdrifts on the octagonal courtyard pavement.
 [ 12 ] The table has an octagonal base but a circular top to lead the eye
upward to the circular light and finally to the gold-leaf-covered dome
. Because the table’s shape was important to the design of the room, Eliel
designed four arch-shaped extension leaves for the perimeter that allow
the table to remain circular when expanded, unlike most round tables.
[ 13 ] The wall hanging, designed and woven by Finnish artist Greta Skogster
(1900- 1994), depicts birds in a tree, as if to mirror the view through the
French doors opposite to the trees beyond the courtyard.
 [ 14 ] French doors make for a seamless transition between indoor
and outdoor spaces for entertaining. The dining room is aligned on
an axis with the courtyard, but also with the living room.
 [ 15 ] Beyond the swinging door is the butler’s pantry containing some of the Saarinens’ china and their Frigidaire, proudly made
visible to guests when the door swung open. Modern materials were used in the pantry, including Monel metal for the countertops
and battleship linoleum for the floors.

36. The Studio
 The studio has three parts: the alcove off the living room, which Loja Saarinen dubbed the “Cozy Corner”; the main area where
the Saarinens worked and entertained; and Eliel’s office at the back. Both Loja and Eliel spent much of their time in the studio; all
of its spaces thus evoke their professional lives.
 [ 16 ] The Cozy Corner offered a comfortable space where the Saarinens entertained guests ranging from their
grandchildren to Cranbrook Academy of Art students and faculty to architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and
Alvar Aalto.
 [ 17 ] Originally a piano was located where there is
now the small portable bar buffet, designed by
 son-in-law J. Robert F. Swanson, from which the
Saarinens often served martinis late in the day.
[ 18 ] The studio is restored in the way that the
Saarinens had it photographed; however, for
daily use, the rug was stored away and there
were three drafting tables at which Eliel could
design architecture and Loja, textiles. When the Saarinens hosted parties, the drafting tables were removed, creating an
impressive reception space that included tubular
metal chairs designed by Eero Saarinen for the auditorium of the Kingswood School for girls.
[ 19 ] This rug, made in Finland in the eighteenth century, is called a ryijy (RYE-a) for the way it is hand-knotted and woven. It is one
of several historical ryijy rugs the Saarinens collected. Most of the rugs that Loja designed, including the ones in the studio, were
made using the same ancient technique.
[ 20 ] Originally the walls displayed Eliel’s presentation drawings of buildings he had designed in Finland. The restoration instead
includes reproductions of his Cranbrook designs.

38. The Upperstairways Hall
 The second floor of the house includes the master bedroom and bathroom along with four additional rooms
and a guest bathroom at the end of the hallway. Next to the master bedroom is the room that Eero stayed in
when on break from college and before he married in 1939. The other rooms that are not included in the
current restoration were used as a guest bedroom, a sewing room, and the housekeeper’s bedroom, which
was accessed by stairs from the kitchen rather than from the hallway.
 [ 21 ] In this alcove Eliel and Loja ate
breakfast, brought to them every
morning at 7:30 a.m. by the housekeeper.
 [ 22 ] All of the doors originally displayed
designs by Pipsan Saarinen Swanson
. Restorers were unable to determine
the exact motifs, so they used ones that
Pipsan designed for the Kingswood
School for girls, which her father Eliel
designed around the same time as this house

39. The Master Bedroom and Master
Bathroom
For their bedroom, the Saarinens gave their twenty-year- old son, Eero, one of his first commissions, allowing him to design the beds,
nightstand and table, and the dressing table bench, lamps and mirror. In these pieces, his talent and distinctive style are already evident
and foreshadow his success as an architect and furniture designer. [ 23 ] With these lamps and mirror, Eero transforms his mother Loja’s
dressing table into an altar to glamour and elegance. They reveal Eero’s under- standing of the use of indirect lighting, which Eliel
skillfully employed elsewhere in Saarinen House. Scaled for the tabletop, the torchères reflect light onto the ceiling, subtly illuminating
the sitter’s face.
 The master bathroom, designed by Eliel Saarinen, is a stunning example of the 1930s-era belief that modernity equaled “clean,” in
two senses of the word: “hygienic and sanitary” as well as “visually sleek and free of clutter.”
 [ 24 ] The bathroom’s layout is perfectly
symmetrical and detailed with squares
and rectangles.
 [ 25 ] Surfaces are lined with smooth,
easy-to-clean tiles in neutral shades
of off-white and gun- metal gray.
 [ 26 ] The sinks are faucetless, which
gives them a streamlined appearance.
Water comes from an opening near the
top of each basin. The counter- tops
are Vitrolite, an opaque glass used as cladding for buildings.

40. Thank You!