Post #8

            One of the pieces that have caught my interest that I’m sure everyone is familiar with is the Gateway Arch, located in St. Louis, Missouri.  Such architecture has yet to be seen within America concerning this piece of architecture, especially since it holds the title as the tallest man-made monument in the United States.  The architect Eero Saarinen was the lead design behind the monument and was approximated to cost around $13 million U.S. dollars at the time.  The Gateway Arch stands at 630 feet overlooking the city, while the stainless steel arch was proclaimed as a “perfect monument to the spirit of the western pioneers.”

            After reviewing some of Saarinen’s unique architecture, such as the Trans World Airlines Terminal (at John F. Kennedy Airport), you can start to notice Eero’s artistic style through his structures.  Since looking over these structures, I have taken a new appreciation for architecture and how quickly it advanced considering the time frame in which these buildings have been constructed.  Having 60 feet anchored foundation into the ground, this unique piece was built to withstand earthquakes and extreme winds.  According to nps.gov, it sways around 1 inch in a 20 mph wind storm, and is built to sway up to 18 inches.

            The Gateway Arch was not only an impressive structure, but also contained mathematical equations for the structures stability that made it even more notable.  Being set by Hannskari Bandel, this equation provided has been used to create the blueprints in geometric forms.  It makes sense, since the arch of the structure is a weighted catenary- meaning its legs are wider than its upper section in order to stabilize it.  The project was meant to be created with 5,000 workers and new job opportunities, however, by half way through the construction, they only had 100 workers on board.  Covering over 90 acres of park use for the monument, it has become an architectural breakthrough for America and even through the world, especially since the geometric equation sort of set the tempo for creating the catenary stability.

            Eero Saarinen, a Finnish-born American who immigrated to the States at around 1923, was widely engaged with furniture and sculpture design, leading him to opportunity to creating some of the most famous pieces of American sculptures that still remains.  Creating a firm and creating these great American masterpieces, his life came to an end at the age of 51 when he was undergoing a removal of a brain tumor.  While Saarinen was unappreciated and unrecognized for his great masterpieces during his time, he was elected as one of the Fellows for the American Institute for Architects and also a winner of the AIA Gold Medal for all of his notable pieces of work.

            These architectures built and designed by Saarinen were some of the major foundations for stepping stones for unique and modern art within America, they shaped the new standard for which was considered modern and outdated.  In my opinion, these buildings stood out amongst all others and brought a higher level of sophistication to the table as the involved geometric equations to test their survivability.

Sources:

http://www.stlouisarch.com/experience/the-gateway-arch/

http://www.nps.gov/jeff/historyculture/index.htm

http://www.eerosaarinen.net/eero_saarinen.shtml