Esoteric Survey

  The Saarinen House (1929) at Cranbrook Academy by Eliel Saarinen with help from Loja, Pipsan, and Eero. It was the home of Eliel and Loja from 1930 to 1951. Eliel was the master architect for Cranbrook and was the C ranbrook Academy of Art’s president from 1932 to 1946. Lilly Swann Saarinen and Loja Saarinen in the book room. Source: Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research Textiles and hangings by Studio Loja Saarinen. Almost every piece was designed by a member of the Saarinen family. They even let Pipsan's husband, Robert Swanson, have a piece in the house.  Kevin Adkisson, Curator at the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, showed us the house and was the best guide. He had some juicy stories about Robert Swanson. Eliel Saarinen dining set. Cranbrook Academy student Harry Bertoia gets credit for trimming the base of the sculpture to fit perfectly within in the center inlay.  Pipsan flower floater The home studio. We're ...

TWA Flight Center (1962) by Eero Saarinen at JFK airport in New York City. The thin-shelled concrete structure was commissioned in 1956 by TWA owner Howard Hughes. It's one of Saarinen's signature projects, although he died in 1961 before the flight center opened.  After being closed for 16 years, a major renovation took place that included the addition of two new hotel structures behind the Saarinen building. It reopened in 2019.   In addition to being a hotel lobby, there are a number of dining/drinking establishments, historical displays and a gift shop. Besides a few kitschy aspects (like a Twister room), it's really well done. All-in-all the restoration as well as the reprogramming of the space is incredible.   Obviously a lot of Saarinen Knoll furniture. Catch Me if You Can There's even a TWA plane parked in back. It's a bar. This is one of the TWA hotel buildings. I can't imagine there being a single building anywhere with more womb chairs than that. Alt...