A chair without legs and a spaceship? Have a look at Eero Saarinen furniture and discover a world of innovation and originality!
Eero Saarinen, a Finnish architect, born American, was one of the minds that helped to create the imaginary of the future.
Curved lines, very tall towers, glass and steel. In the 1950s only a few enlightened architects imagined the environment in which we live today.
It is from the imagination of these minds, who did not allow themselves to be limited by everyday life, that our cities took shape and direction and developed with more modern materials and lines.
His artistic life developed together with that of his classmate at the Cranbrook Institute of Architecture and Design, Charles Eames with whom he maintained an excellent relationship and above all a constant interest for new technologies and the use of new materials (in particular the Fiberglass molding with which they built the first single body chair).
From monumental works to the small objects of everyday life, the architect Eero Saarinen managed to imprint in his projects a concept of winning modernism, dedicated to experimenting with new construction techniques, often in sharp contrast with the aesthetic dictates of his time.
Let's think of just one of his works, which is to this day a cause of admiration: the TWA (Trans World Airlines) terminal at the US airport in New York.
Opened in 1962, Eero Saarinen's airport was designed to be the center of the jet area. Characterized by a strong futuristic approach, the New York TWA looks like a sci-fi spaceship made of glass and concrete.
The intent to amaze and engage the observer is assured in every single one of his creations: from the largest to the smallest.
Among the timeless design icons we find Eero Saarinen’s Tulip chair, designed for Knoll between 1955 and 1956.
Saarinen solemnly promises that he would face the "ugly, confused, restless world" represented by the legs of tables and chairs.
Carrying on with this battle with the creation of this chair, Saarinen has managed to achieve extreme formal cleanliness.
Eero Saarinen’s furniture, highly appreciated to this day, rests on a circular base from which a simple "stem" that supports the seat, composed of a single body and equipped with padding.
Eero Saarinen’s Tulip chair is available both with and without armrests and with different back sizes.
For a more sustained and formal seat, the Tulip chair with armrests guarantees a better support, while the other option leaves the seat more free and airy.
The Tulip collection is also enriched by the presence of a small armchair, a stool and a round table, always equipped with a circular pedestal.
Saarinen’s collaboration with Knoll continues for many years, creating high-design products recognized and admired all over the world. Some examples are the Grasshopper armchair and pouf (1946), the Womb chair and sofa (1948/50).