Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen will be the focus of the Season 30 Finale of American Masters, the PBS documentary program that highlights the preeminent cultural icons of United States’ history.
Co-produced by Saarinen’s son, Eric, the documentary will dig into the life and work of the visionary architect, covering seminal projects including St. Louis' iconic Gateway Arch, the General Motors Technical Center, New York's TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Yale University's Ingalls Rink and Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges, and Virginia's Dulles Airport.
"Closure was something I didn't have with my dad. But I forgive him for his genius," said Eric Saarinen, ASC. "He figured out a way to be important across time, so even though he died young, he is still alive."
The documentary will feature rare archival interviews with Eero and his second wife, New York Times art critic Aline Saarinen, as well as new interviews with architects Kevin Roche, César Pelli, Rafael Viñoly, and Robert A. M. Stern, architecture critic Paul Goldberger, curator Donald Albrecht (Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future), author Jayne Merkel (Eero Saarinen) and Cathleen McGuigan, editor-in-chief of Architectural Record.
Check out some excerpts and a trailer for the film below.
Film excerpt: Eero Saarinen's mobile lounge, "passenger-to-the-plane" concept enables his revolutionary Dulles Airport design
Film excerpt: Eero Saarinen explains his design of the General Motors Technical Center (Warren, Mich.), a National Historic Landmark:
Film outtake: Eero Saarinen's explains his design of the MIT Chapel
Film excerpt: Eero and Eliel Saarinen compete for St. Louis monument design
Film trailer:
The documentary will premier nationwide Tuesday, December 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will become available on DVD January 3, 2017. Learn more about the film, and find out how to watch it, here.
