Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen (1910-1961), an American architect and designer of Finnish origins, left a fundamental impetus for the development of Modernism, combining the use of new materials with organic forms rich in curves, with a strong sculptural impact. Son of the famous architect Eliel Saarinen, he grew up in an environment permeated by a passion for design and studied sculpture in Paris and architecture at Yale. He was a close friend of Charles Eames, with whom he won first prize in the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition, and of Florence Knoll, who was his father's favorite pupil. And it was the Florence-based company, Knoll International, that put into production all the most famous creations by Eero Saarinen, still among the brand's great bestsellers. Among his most famous buildings, Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy airport in New York and the Gateway Arch, a symbolic monument of the city of St. Louis.