A Reputation for Innovation

Today, Sofia and I went on a "cultural outing" to the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard to see the Eero Saarinen exhibit: A Reputation for Innovation. I had not heard Saarinen's name before but I certainly recognized his iconic chair designs (which have now been knocked off by IKEA and other modern designers). I am always eager to see the special exhibits that the Nordic Heritage Museum hosts especially when they relate to design. The Scandinavians have such a flair for design and it's fun to see how innovative and imaginative they can be.

Born in Finland, Saarinen was one of the 20th century's most prolific architects and designed some of the most iconic buildings of his time. I found it interesting that I recognized his chairs as classic Scandinavian design but did not know he was most well-known for designing several significant buildings and landmarks in the US including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri; headquarters for John Deere, IBM and CBS, the main terminal at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., which was Saarinen's favorite project.

In case you don't make it to the exhibit, I wanted to share some pictures with you.

How true is this quote? I love it!