Saarinen’s first significant solo commission was for the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, which still serves at the nerve center for the company’s engineering wing and workspace for 16,000 employees. A campus of five buildings arranged around a 22-acre reflecting pool, the grand project was designated one of the "Most Outstanding Architectural Achievements of its Era" by the American Institute of Architects. Boasting an array of technical flourishes, like floating staircases in the lobby of the Research and Development and Design building and a fountain by Alexander Calder, it was called the "Versailles of Industry" and dedicated by President Eisenhower when it opened in 1956. Photo 3 of 10 in Design Icon: Eero Saarinen

Design Icon: Eero Saarinen

3 of 10

Saarinen’s first significant solo commission was for the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, which still serves at the nerve center for the company’s engineering wing and workspace for 16,000 employees. A campus of five buildings arranged around a 22-acre reflecting pool, the grand project was designated one of the Most Outstanding Architectural Achievements of Its Era by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Boasting an array of technical flourishes, like floating staircases in the lobby of the Research and Development and Design building and a fountain by Alexander Calder, it was called the "Versailles of Industry" and dedicated by President Eisenhower when it opened in 1956.