See Eero Saarinen’s Career in Photos

2 minute read

We sit in his chairs, road-trip to his iconic landmarks and even worship in his churches. Eero Saarinen, born in Finland and educated in the U.S., was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. Since his death at age 51 from a brain tumor, he has been outlived—as is the fate of all successful architects—by the work he created, neofuturistic designs that have become a permanent fixture of our landscape.

The son of the renowned Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, the junior Saarinen grew up in his father’s workroom, and the two entered into a partnership after Eero completed his studies at the Yale School of Architecture. His work ranged from the grand—the TWA Terminal at JFK Airport and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch in St. Louis—to the everyday, as with the chairs he designed both on his own and with Charles Eames.

Here, on what would have been his 105th birthday, is a selection of Saarinen’s work photographed for LIFE Magazine—from the in-demand, design-oriented furniture to the landmarks that define American cities. Though his aesthetic was eclectic, it can be summed up in four words, as LIFE put it following Saarinen’s death in 1961: “poetic inventiveness, monumental simplicity.”

Eero Saarinen at the Goethe Festival, 1949.
Eero Saarinen at the Goethe Festival, 1949.W. Eugene Smith—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter @lizabethronk.

 

Correction: The original version of this story misstated how old Eero Saarinen would be on Aug. 20, 2015. He was born on Aug. 20, 1910. Aug 20, 2015 is his 105th birthday.

Architect Eero Saarinen at home in his study w. furniture designed by him, 1958.
Caption from LIFE: Saarinen's study is equipped with three varieties of Saarinen furniture: a blue "womb" chair, a plywood chair (next to the bookcase) and a white pedestal chair. In the left foreground is a newly designed aluminum base for a lower pedestal chair and on the wall in the rear are trial sketches for more chairs.Frank Scherscehl—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Womb Chair by Eero Saarinen, 1953
A photograph of the "Womb Chair" designed by Eero Saarinen.Gjon Mili—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Saarinen House in Detroit, 1958.
A photograph of the living space inside the Saarinen House in Detroit, 1958.Frank Scherscehl—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Fountain in front of new Law Library designed by Eerro Saarinen, 1961.
The fountain in front of the University of Chicago Law Library designed by Eero Saarinen, 1961.Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
The TWA terminal, designed by Eero Saarinen, 1961.
The TWA terminal, designed by Eero Saarinen, 1961.Dmitri Kessel—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch designed by Eero Saarinen, 1965.
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch, designed by Eero Saarinen, under construction in 1965.Robert W. Kelley—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch designed by Eero Saarinen, 1965.
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch, designed by Eero Saarinen, under construction in 1965.A.Y. Owen—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Walled-in glass bank designed by Eero Saarinen, 1967.
A walled-in glass bank designed by Eero Saarinen, 1967.John Loengard—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Interior of North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen, 1967.
The interior of the North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen, 1967.John Loengard—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Crowds out side of the North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen, 1967.
Crowds out side of the North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen, 1967.John Loengard—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

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