EERO SAARINEN AND ASSOCIATES

Eero Saarinen and Associates achieved international acclaim while working out of a surprisingly modest office in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. An intense and immersive environment, it was up and running almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To create innovative architectural work for an impressive roster of clients, Saarinen and his colleagues developed compelling tools of exploration and persuasion, most notably large-scale models. These models encouraged collaboration within the office, becoming instruments, as noted by the office’s senior designer Kevin Roche, “for keeping people involved.” Models also reassured wary clients when they were photographed with convincing verisimilitude using mirrors, dramatic lighting, and even smoke. After Eliel Saarinen’s death in 1950, Eero’s fame surpassed his father’s, and he attracted and nurtured the best young talents from around the world, many of whom went on to have significant practices of their own.