Esoteric Survey

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...

Eames Design: The JF Chen Collection goes to auction at Wright on September 10th Many of the pieces were exhibited at the Pacific Standard Time exhibition,  Eames Designs: The Guest-Host Relationship  in 2011-2012--including this Red Lion cabinet by Charles Eames and his buddy Eero Saarinen  for the MOMA Organic Design Competition . See more photos of that exhibition,  here . See all the lots, here . All photos:  Wright

North Christian Church (1964) by Eero Saarinen "On this site, with this kind of central plan, I think I would like to make the church really all one form: all the tower. There would be the gradual building up of the sheltering, hovering planes becoming the spire. The spire would not be put on a box or come up from the sides of the roof, as we did at Stephens College. The whole thing, all the planes, would grow up organically into the spire" — Eero Saarinen The gang from the  Miller House  all got back together for this one.  Dan Kiley (landscape architect) and Alexandar Girard worked with Eero on the design.  Irwin Miller, Columbus's #1 modern architecture fan, was on the building committee for the church. The "Living Cross" behind the pulpit was designed by Alexandar Girard and made by  Marilyn Neuhart Alexandar Girard-designed candelabra The pool Saarinen-designed seating Eames and Risom in the library. ...

First Christian Church (1942) by Eliel Saarinen This was the first "modern" building in Columbus. It was Irwin Miller who suggested to his aunt (the wife of the church's Pastor) that the church be designed by a modern architect. The Henry Moore sculpture came much later and is actually more related to the I.M. Pei library across the street. It sure makes for a nice photo. Charles Eames rendering of  Eliel Saarinen-designed church. Source: Courtesy Cranbrook Archives 1939 construction Source: Courtesy Cranbrook Archives Many of the interior details were designed by Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames. I didn't go inside, but my friend Darren did. He takes better photos than I do anyway.  Photo: Darren Bradley, via Modernist Architecture   This is the tapestry on the side of the alter, “Sermon on the Mount”. It was designed by Eleil Saarinen and woven by his wife Loja and two Finnish weavers at the Cran...

Commissioned by industrialist J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia Simons Miller in 1953, the Miller house was designed by Eero Saarinen and Kevin Roche, with interiors by Alexander Girard and landscape design by Daniel Urban Kiley. It's located in Columbus, Indiana and was completed in 1957. It was so great to see this in person. That's a custom low back Eames Sofa Compact. It's brass and was shortened because it blocked the view. This letter shows the Millers had issues with the sofa compact right from the get go. Girard solved the problem with the custom version. I wish it went into production.  I dig the height.  The letter is from the “Documenting Modern Living: Digitizing the Miller House and Garden Collection.”  The project created a digital archive of the correspondence, drawings and blueprints, textile samples, and photographs that document design, construction, and maintenance of the Miller House and Garden. It's a fun thing to dive into....