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Collection by Luke Hopping

Modern Valentines: A Love Letter to Eero Saarinen

Who says modern can't be romantic? Knoll just unearthed a trove of love letters exchanged between iconic designer Eero Saarinen and his wife, writer Aline B. Saarinen. Filled with pet names and poems, the letters reveal an intimate side to the architect that was sometimes absent from his designs. In one particularly tender exchange, he lists the twelve qualities about Aline that drew him to her, which reminded us of why we first fell for his work. We've reproduced the list in full, along with a few of our favorite images from Saarinen's career.

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Dubbed the "Grand Central of the Jet Age" by critic Robert A.M. Stern, Eero Saarinen’s curvaceous TWA Flight Center was a paean to the romance of flight. The sloped concrete roof recalls two flapping wings, while contours constantly bend and flow into each, creating a fluid collection of terminals, staircases and forms. After being shuttered for years, the space has been turned into a luxury hotel.
Dubbed the "Grand Central of the Jet Age" by critic Robert A.M. Stern, Eero Saarinen’s curvaceous TWA Flight Center was a paean to the romance of flight. The sloped concrete roof recalls two flapping wings, while contours constantly bend and flow into each, creating a fluid collection of terminals, staircases and forms. After being shuttered for years, the space has been turned into a luxury hotel.
"My favorite piece in the house is the 12-foot Saarinen table," says Kroloff. "The Saarinens were a family of extraordinary talent." All the artworks in the house are by pieces by current Cranbrook artists in residence.
"My favorite piece in the house is the 12-foot Saarinen table," says Kroloff. "The Saarinens were a family of extraordinary talent." All the artworks in the house are by pieces by current Cranbrook artists in residence.
Eero Saarinen’s legendary Miller House is not your average home, this modern gem was generously donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2011. The dining room centers around a custom Saarinen-designed marble-and-terrazzo table ringed by Tulip chairs. Overhead is a Venini chandelier. Photo by: Leslie Williamson
Eero Saarinen’s legendary Miller House is not your average home, this modern gem was generously donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2011. The dining room centers around a custom Saarinen-designed marble-and-terrazzo table ringed by Tulip chairs. Overhead is a Venini chandelier. Photo by: Leslie Williamson
A project Saarinen picked up from his father, who passed away before completing, the memorial is built around a floating cruciform with cantilevered portions, referencing Le Corbusier’s concepts of lifting the building off the ground and eliminating load-bearing walls. This Lakefront building also boasts a 1.4 million-piece mosaic commemorating the dates of WWII and the Korean War.
A project Saarinen picked up from his father, who passed away before completing, the memorial is built around a floating cruciform with cantilevered portions, referencing Le Corbusier’s concepts of lifting the building off the ground and eliminating load-bearing walls. This Lakefront building also boasts a 1.4 million-piece mosaic commemorating the dates of WWII and the Korean War.
The St. Louis Arch (1965), Saarinen's most recognizable architectural feat, is located in the heart of St. Louis.
The St. Louis Arch (1965), Saarinen's most recognizable architectural feat, is located in the heart of St. Louis.
An Eero Saarinen Womb chair and ottoman, an Isamu Noguchi Akari lamp, and forest views make for a cozy reading nook.
An Eero Saarinen Womb chair and ottoman, an Isamu Noguchi Akari lamp, and forest views make for a cozy reading nook.
Part of the Pedestal collection introduced by Eero Saarinen as an answer to "the ugly, confusing, unrestful world" that lay beneath the surfaces of chairs and tables, this 42" round dining table comes in both Arabescato marble (shiny or matte finish), and a white laminate.
Part of the Pedestal collection introduced by Eero Saarinen as an answer to "the ugly, confusing, unrestful world" that lay beneath the surfaces of chairs and tables, this 42" round dining table comes in both Arabescato marble (shiny or matte finish), and a white laminate.
One of Saarinen’s few single-family homes, built for industrialist J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia, the Miller House features modern accents such as a cylindrical fireplace and is built around a central space with a conversation pit, a courtyard of sorts inside the building.
One of Saarinen’s few single-family homes, built for industrialist J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia, the Miller House features modern accents such as a cylindrical fireplace and is built around a central space with a conversation pit, a courtyard of sorts inside the building.
Done in tandem with the MIT Chapel across the campus green as centerpieces of the center of campus, the auditorium boasts a copper-clad triangular roof supported by a thin shell of concrete. Saarinen was intimately involved in the setup of the concert hall interior, including acoustic "clouds," wavy structures that hang above the elegant seating area.
Done in tandem with the MIT Chapel across the campus green as centerpieces of the center of campus, the auditorium boasts a copper-clad triangular roof supported by a thin shell of concrete. Saarinen was intimately involved in the setup of the concert hall interior, including acoustic "clouds," wavy structures that hang above the elegant seating area.
Known as the "Yale Whale," this iconic rink gets its double backbone design from a reinforced concrete arch, which supports a cable net that in turn supports the timber roof. The graceful curve, which supposedly represents the grace of players skating on the ice, and excellent sight lines has made the stadium a favorite, and earned it a place in AIA’s America’s Favorite Architecture list.
Known as the "Yale Whale," this iconic rink gets its double backbone design from a reinforced concrete arch, which supports a cable net that in turn supports the timber roof. The graceful curve, which supposedly represents the grace of players skating on the ice, and excellent sight lines has made the stadium a favorite, and earned it a place in AIA’s America’s Favorite Architecture list.
"I think this terminal building is the best thing I have done," Saarinen said of this elliptical airport outside the capital, considered one of the most modern airports in the world when it debuted in 1962. "Maybe it will even explain what I believe about architecture." The shrewd introduction of mobile lounges—transport vehicles designed by Chrysler to ferry passengers to their plane—allowed the architect to focus on an uncluttered floor plan and the flow of the space, highlighted by the curved roof and aerodynamic pylons.
"I think this terminal building is the best thing I have done," Saarinen said of this elliptical airport outside the capital, considered one of the most modern airports in the world when it debuted in 1962. "Maybe it will even explain what I believe about architecture." The shrewd introduction of mobile lounges—transport vehicles designed by Chrysler to ferry passengers to their plane—allowed the architect to focus on an uncluttered floor plan and the flow of the space, highlighted by the curved roof and aerodynamic pylons.