Kevin Roche, Robert Venturi, Gunnar Birkerts, and even Balthazar Korab worked for the influential modern architect Kevin Roche remembers his initial interview with Eero Saarinen in 1950. The young architect, having spent the last week drinking and partying in New York City, had been summoned by the famous Finnish-American designer for an 8 a.m. meeting in his room at the Plaza Hotel to talk about a potential job.
Saarinen, who was just getting up, began talking in his slow, deliberate voice at Roche, who had been up all night with his cousin and slowly drifted off into sleep. Saarinen evidently didn?t notice, continuing his discussion about architecture and design. As Roche told Dwell, he eventually woke up with a start as Saarinen said ?well, come out to Michigan.? Roche would then borrow some cash, buy an overnight train ticket, and begin working for Saarinen the next day. Roche had the luck to not only ace the interview, but become a designer, architect, and eventually key associate at one of the more exciting architecture offices of the 20th century. Eero Saarinen and Associates of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, would go on to design some of the most iconic buildings of postwar American architecture, including the TWA Terminal and St. Louis Arch.
During the firm?s short lifespan, from 1950, when Eero took over from his talented father and fellow architect, Eliel, to 1961, when Eero unexpectedly and tragically died during an operation, its work established Saarinen...