The document summarizes the life and work of Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. It discusses that Saarinen believed architecture should shelter and enhance human life on Earth while fulfilling our belief in human dignity. It provides examples of some of Saarinen's most famous works, including the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the TWA Terminal at JFK Airport, and several chair designs for Knoll.

1. “The purpose of
architecture is to shelter
and enhance man’s life on
earth and to fulfill his belief
in the nobility of his
existence.”
EERO SAARINEN
I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T Y L E 1

2.  Eero Saarinen (Aug 20,1910 – Sep 1,1961)
was a Finnish-American architect and
industrial designer of the 20th century famous
for varying his style according to the demands
of the project: simple, sweeping, arching
structural curves or machine-like
rationalism.
 For Eero,Architecture was a discipline like the
fine arts, and in particular, sculpture.
 He called himself a "form giver" and everything
he designed had a strong sculptural quality.
 During his long association with Knoll he
designed significant furniture including the
"Grasshopper" chair , the "Womb" chair &
Ottoman, and his most famous "Tulip" or
St.Louis Arch or Saarinen
"Pedestal" group , which featured side and arm
chairs, dining, coffee & side tables, & a stool. Gateway, Missouri
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3.  Saarinen began his career as a student • In the postwar decades of what has
at Yale University and after travels and been called "the American
studies in Europe returned to the U.S. Century," Saarinen helped create
and taught for a brief period at the international image of the
Cranbrook. United States with his designs for
 Saarinen and Eames collaborated on some of the most potent symbolic
various projects, culminating in a range of expressions of American identity
furniture that won first prize at an such as
exhibition held at the Museum of Modern  St. Louis Gateway Arch
Art in New York in 1940 entitled,  General Motors Technical Center,
"Organic Design in Home Michigan
Furnishings."  TWA Terminal at New York's
 After 1946,Saarinen became associated John F. Kennedy Airport.
with Knoll Associates.  MIT Chapel
 A number of Saarinen’s chairs for Knoll  Dulles Airport Terminal,
were to become landmarks in the history Washington
of 20th century design.
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4. Trans World
Airlines Flight
Center, JFK Airport
Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo
Washington Dulles
International Airport
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5. Kresge Auditorium, MIT.
(Emma Hartman)Noyes house, Vassar
College campus, New York
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6. North Christian Church,
Columbus, Indiana
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7. MIT CHAPEL, CAMBRIDGE
• The MIT Chapel is a non-
denominational chapel designed by
Eero Saarinen.
• It is located on the campus of
the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
• Though a small building, it is often
noted as a successful example
of Mid-century
Modern Architecture in the US.
• Through the sheer manipulation of
light and the its focus on a blazingly
white marble altar block, Saarinen
created a place of mystic quietness.
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8. • From the outside the chapel is a simple,
windowless brick cylinder set inside a
very shallow concrete moat.
• It is 50’(5 m) in diameter and 30’ (9.1 m)
high, and topped by an aluminum spire.
• The brick is supported by a series of
low arches.
• Saarinen chose bricks that were rough
and imperfect to create a textured
effect.
• The whole is set in two groves of birch
trees, with a long wall to the east, all
designed by Saarinen.
• The wall and trees provide a uniform
background for the chapel, and isolate
the site from the noise and bustle of
adjacent buildings.
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9. • Within is an intimate space, stunning in
its immediate visual impact.
• Windowless interior walls are
undulating brick.
• Like a cascade of light, a full-height
metal sculpture glitters from the circular
skylight down to a small, unadorned
marble altar.
• Natural light filters upward from shallow
slits in the walls catching reflected light
from the moat; this dim ambient light is
complemented by artificial lighting.
• The chapel's curving spire and bell tower
(designed by the sculptor Theodore
Roszak) was added in 1956
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10. Interiors of the Millers’ House
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11. TWA -Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York.
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12. TWA -Terminal, John F. Kennedy
International Airport, New York.
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13. THE WOMB CHAIR 13
 A chair in which one
could curl up in.
 The Womb Chair is an
enveloping, lap-like
form continues to be
one of the most iconic
and recognized
representations of mid-
century Scandinavian
organic modernism.
 With its steel rod base with a polished chrome finish and a frame
upholstered in fabric over a fiberglass shell, the chair is designed to
facilitate a relaxed sitting posture, providing emotional comfort and a
sense of security—hence, the name “Womb”.
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 It's organic form is
representative of the mid
century Scandinavian
modernism style of furniture
using synthetic materials to
create organically inspired
forms.
 By applying foam molded over a
fiberglass shell, Saarinen was
able to create a single-piece
form that perfectly facilitated a
relaxed sitting posture and a  The slender steel rod base is
sublime feeling of security. chrome-plated using a multiple
 Additional seat and back step process that results in a
cushions and the coordinating flawlessly polished mirror finish.
Womb Ottoman provide a  H 35.5" W 40" D 34" Seat H 16"
further degree of lavish comfort.
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15. Womb chair used to view the exteriors
Womb chair in a reading room or Library
Womb chair used in master bedrom
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16. THE TULIP CHAIR 16
 Designed by Eero Saarinen
 It was designed primarily as
a chair to match the
complementary dining table.
 The chair is often
considered "space age" for
its futuristic use of curves
and artificial materials.
 The base of the tulip chair is of cast aluminum with a rilsan-coated finish
to match the upper shell, giving the appearance of a single unit.
 The upper shell is molded fiberglass, with a reinforced, plastic bonded
finish.
 The upholstered foam cushion is removable with Velcro fastening.
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 It's form is typical of this organic period of molded concrete architecture
and plastic futuristic designs, which were derived from organic forms.
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18. Interiors of the Millers’ House –
the Tulip set is used in the interiors
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19. GRASSHOPPER CHAIR 19
 Designed by Eero Saarinen
 Materials: Laminated wood frame with
upholstered cushions
 Dimensions: W 26 1/2―,D 34",H 35 ¼‖
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21. 21
ALVAR AALTO
I N T E R N AT I O N A L S T Y L E

22. 22
 Aalvar Aalto was born in
Kuortane, Finland.
 In 1916 he then enrolled to
study architecture at the Helsinki
University of Technology,
graduating in 1921.
 In 1923 he returned to
Jyväskylä, where he opened his
first architectural office.
 Jyväskylä would become a
notable city for his architecture,
with more buildings designed by Otaniemi Technical University, Finland
him than in any other city. Red bqick, black
 Alvar alto’s principle was gqanite, and
FUNCTIONALISM IN coppeq combine in
FURNITURE DESIGN. Alvaq Aalto's
buildings foq the
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23. • Studied Architecture between 1916-1921 at
the Technical University of Helsinki.
 Used wood instead of metal for his furniture.
• Started to produce his innovative plywood
chairs in the1930s, and create a new trend in
use of plywood.
• Built Paimio Sanatorium in Turku in 1930s
• His ideas had a strong influence on designers
of the period such as Charles and Ray
Eames.
• Founded Artek, a furniture design
company in 1935 with his colleagues
Harry and Marie Gullichsen.
Finlandia Hall
• Designed the Villa Mairea, one of the admired buildings of modern architecture with
his perception of organic links between people, nature and buildings.
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24. Seinajoki Town Hall
Headquarters for the White Guards
Enso-Gutzeit Headquarters
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25. 25
DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES
• His design philosophy was • The beauty of his work is hidden in his
influenced by nature and design approach of Functionalism but
organic materials, unlike other with a strong connection to the
furniture of the same period with organic relationship between man,
materials as tubular steel, which nature and buildings.
were quite modern at the time. • He coordinated these three
• Designed vases with curvilinear components and created a synthesis of
bases and straight sides for life in materialized form.
Savoy Restaurant – Turku • He designed in very different scales –
• With his innovative designs and ranging from buildings, town plans,
natural forms he changed the furniture, glassware, jewellery and
course of design towards other forms of art.
organic Modernism.
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26. ALVAR ALTO’S FURNITURE DESIGN 26
 His design concepts were  He concluded that standardization
organic and using the human and mass production could not be
form. sustained in Finland's small
 His buildings and chairs were first economy.
prompted by the user.  His chairs were the result of great
 The seats and handles were study and investigation into, posture,
moulded to the human form. laminated wood, aesthetic
 Of all architectural furniture, his is considerations and efficient
the closest to humanity. mechanical methods of mass
 Alvar Aalto designed laminated production.
timber furniture.  Alvar Aalto’s furniture included:
 He saw that tubular steel lacked  The Paimio Chair
human qualities.  The Viipuri Stacking Stools
 He used local Birchwood as a  Cantilevered Chair
substitution for steel tubing.
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27. PAIMIO CHAIR
 Paimio Chair is said to have been
influenced by the curved contours of
the Finnish lakes.
 It is one of the most elegant modern
chairs.
 The frame is laminated birch bent into
a closed curve with solid birch cross-
rails.
 The seat is molded from one piece of
birch plywood.
 The springy plywood fixed on a closed
frame was Aalto’s brainstorm for
making a wooden chair ―soft‖.  The curves are made by clamping
 The Paimio Chair is constructed from layers of veneer and glue over a
both two dimensional molded plywood form to achieve the desired
and laminated timber. curved shapes.
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28.  It was supported by cantilevered continuous arm and leg frame of laminated
Birch plywood steam bent in the shape of a "C" and had horizontal braces to the
back.
 The frame was
thicker from the
front of the seat
down as there was
more stress on the
frame there.
 He constructed the
frame with 7 layers
of lamination and
less for the arms
and back as they
required less
reinforcement.
Interior of the Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Paimio
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29. VIIPURI STACKING STOOLS 29
 The Viipuri collection of furniture  They then take up a minimal
complemented Aalto's forward storage space so are ideal for
thinking design. schools, meeting rooms or
 The stacking stool - this was offices.
made up of only four wooden parts,  They were available in children
three Aalto Legs and a round seat. and adult sizes.
 These three legged stools are  The legs were varnished natural
versatile and functional Birch timber and the seats were
 The stack ability means that they made from natural Birch timber,
are ideal for large gathering areas primary and white laminates.
with small storage spaces.
 The legs were attached to the seat
at 120 degree angles which meant
they could interlock and stack
easily.
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30. Auditorium of the Viipuri Municipal Library
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31. 31
CANTILEVERED CHAIR
 Otherwise known as the Cantilever
chair no.31; Made of Bent laminated
and solid birch frame with bent
plywood seat section; has a more
subtle curved form.
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32. Sofa 544 designed by Alvar
Aalto (1932)
Lounge chair 43 designed
by Alvar Aalto
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33. 33
The Savoy Vase or the Aalto Vase
Inspired by nature and made to Alvar Aalto's
humanist design philosophy, the iconic form
still proves to be as popular as it did when it
was launched in 1937
Tea trolley by Alto
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34. 34
Pendant lamp
A110 desinged
by Alvar Aalto (1952)
Chair 66 designed by Alvar
Aalto (1935)
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35. Pendant lamp
A331
Bench 153B
Armchair 401
Interior of Academic Bookshop,
Helsinki
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36. Interior of a summer House
Interior of Finnish Pavilion
Riihitie House, Helsinki
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37. Views of Villa Mairea, Finland –
Built in the middle of a Pine
Forest
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38. Brick wall used as a sculptural element
Interior views of villa Mairea
The uneven patterning of poles stairs are
designed to mimic the forests outdoors
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39. Interior views of villa Mairea
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