(Evan Wiskup)

Eero Saarinen, one of the world’s most famous architects, is being celebrated in the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum’s new exhibit “Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future.” You might recognize his name from his design of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial—also known as the St. Louis Gateway Arch. This retrospective exhibit went on display the evening of Jan. 30 and will remain installed at the Kemper through April 27.

Saarinen designed some of the most recognizable structures in America, primarily between the years of 1945-1961. Some of his more famous works, all of which are represented at the exhibit, include the TWA flight center at JFK International Airport, the main terminal of Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, the company headquarters for IBM and CBS, the Berkshire Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts and structures for Yale University, MIT, Brandeis University, the University of Chicago and Vassar College.

Aside from his well-known architectural feats, the exhibit also displays a small collection of his innovative furniture designs, including the “tulip” chair.

The Kemper exhibit showcases Saarinen’s life and works through several video installations, photos, drawings, press clippings, flat works, personal letters and three-dimensional models.

In his designs, Saarinen uses dynamic forms and structural innovations to capture the optimism of mid-20th century America; the variety and scale of his works came to represent a national idea of unbounded choice.

Although several artists such as Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe and Norman Rockwell sought to provide a national identity for America during the 1950s, many critics believe the scale and scope of their works cannot compare to what Saarinen has accomplished. Saarinen’s architecture embodies America’s potential and desire for success; his work reflects an assumed American ascendancy, embodying power and optimism. He used new materials in innovative ways, creating a sense of flowing space in his massive structures.

“Much of the architecture we see around us today owes itself to Saarinen. He inspired younger architects who continued to develop his style,” said Peter MacKeith, one of the curators of the exhibit. MacKeith believes that Saarinen’s style and philosophy is, in some ways, embodied in his final creation: the Gateway Arch.

While the retrospective exhibit does not focus solely on the Arch, it is certainly one of the centerpieces, and the first thing you see upon entering the exhibit space. “The Arch has set a very high standard for public sculpture because of its simple elegance, its pristine material (stainless steel) and its soaring monumentality,” said Mary Brunstrom, a Ph.D. candidate who participated in the creation of the related exhibit, “On the Riverfront: St. Louis and the Gateway Arch.” This second, smaller exhibit is across from the Kemper Museum in Steinberg Hall; it focuses on the Arch’s history and construction.

The Gateway Arch was Saarinen’s design for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (JNEM) competition. Most designs submitted by other architects were for national parks and recreation spaces.

“I’m impressed by the sheer human effort and vision apparent in the 172 entries for the architectural competition,” Brunstrom said. “We’ve been able to exhibit copies of quite a number of them and all will be looped in a PowerPoint that will be shown on a mounted computer monitor.”

“These are all visions of what the Riverfront could have looked like if any other entry had been chosen,” MacKeith said. Visitors will gain “a better sense of the importance of the history of the site and greater knowledge about how the Arch came to be there,” said Eric Mumford, co-curator of the exhibit.

In relation to the Eero Saarinen exhibit, “On the Riverfront” is a must-see. Both exhibits delve into fascinating histories and, when seen together, will leave viewers with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for American architecture and the part that St. Louis plays in the construction of a national identity.