Eero Saarinen
Buildings from the Balthazar Korab Archive
12 August 2008
Description
A timely portrait of the work of an architect who expanded the vocabulary of modern architecture.
Eero Saarinen and Balthazar Korab constitute a unique team in the history of architecture: Saarinen, the mid-twentieth-century architect who challenged the architectural conventions of his time; and Korab, an architect in Saarinen's office whose perceptive photographs reveal the brilliance of Saarinen's work.
This visual sourcebook illustrates nineteen Saarinen commissions in photographs drawn from Korab's archive, providing multiple views of the buildings themselves and some views of their construction and of architectural models that were critical to their design. Images of Saarinen's office and home provide personal ambience, and an introductory essay positions Saarinen's work within the broader context of his time.
Seen in detail, such earlier works as the General Motors Technical Center (1948-56) or the Miller house (1953-57) show departures from orthodox modernism; Saarinen's assured handling of new materials and new building functions impart lasting value to his career, as seen in the Trans World Airlines Terminal (1956-62) and Dulles International Airport (1958-63), which have become iconic images.
Reviews
"The book…in image after stunning image becomes a tribute to the work of both men." — Civil Engineering
"A sense of why Saarinen stood apart from his peers can be gathered...with striking images that...leap off the page." — Martin Filler, The New York Review
"What a treat! [A] gorgeous book….adds another piece to the growing evidence of his influence on American architecture." — Rae Dumke, Executive Director AIA Michigan