Eero Saarinen: Mind-blowing Architect & Designer of the Mid-20th Century

One of the most influential architects and industrial designers

TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen exterior showing the concrete forms and large glass panels. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons). Creative Commons license: CC BY-SA 4.0.

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

Part 1: Early Life and Influences

Eero Saarinen, born in 1910 in Kirkkonummi, Finland, would go on to become one of the most influential architects of the mid-20th century. His architectural designs redefined the landscape of modern America, and his innovative approach to form, materials, and space continues to provoke and inspire architects and designers today.

A Finnish Beginning

Eero Saarinen’s early life was marked by a strong connection to his Finnish heritage. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was a renowned architect in Finland, known for his pioneering work in the Art Nouveau and National Romantic architectural styles. Eliel’s designs, such as the Helsinki Central Railway Station, exhibited a fusion of traditional Finnish aesthetics with innovative structural techniques. This early exposure to architecture undoubtedly played…