"The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man's life on earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence," said Eero Saarinen in 1959. Saarinen's architectural legacy communicates this sentiment of giddy potential and unfettered optimism in post-war America. Iconic projects like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport Terminal and the Kresge Auditorium on MIT's campus express his groundbreaking brand of mid-century modernism.

Born in Finland to famed architect Eliel Saarinen and textile designer Loja Saarinen, Eero immigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1923. Settling in Michigan, Eliel co-founded the Cranbrook Academy of Art and designed most of the buildings for ...