Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future

The Olivier Music Barn @ 3:30 PM on Saturday, September 23, 2017

Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future

Peter Rosen

Length: 68 min
Year: 2016
Country: USA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJE2zpyX3i0

Explore the life of Finnish-American modernist architectural giant Eero Saarinen (1910-1961), whose visionary buildings include National Historic Landmarks such as St. Louis’ iconic Gateway Arch and the General Motors Technical Center in Michigan. Saarinen also designed New York’s TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Yale University’s Ingalls Rink, Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges, Virginia’s Dulles Airport, and modernist pedestal furniture like the Tulip Chair.  

In this film, we travel with his son (and Director of Photography) Eric Saarinen on a cathartic journey through the sites of his father’s work. Eero’s sudden death at age 51 cut short one of the most influential careers in American architecture. Today, Saarinen’s work stands apart and continues to inspire and renew interest in 20th-century architects and artists who exploded the comfortable constraints of the past to create a robust and daring American aesthetic. Shot in 6K with the latest drone technology, the film showcases the architect’s body of work for the first time. Produced and directed by Peter Rosen, the film premiered on television in December 2016 as part of the PBS American Masters series.