Eliel Saarinen

Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (Known as "Eliel Saarinen")

Architect, Urban Planner, Creator of Helsinki Central Railway Station, Cranbrook President

Born 1873-08-20

Rantasalmi, Finland

Passed Away 1950-07-01 Bloomfield Hills, United States

Lifespan 76 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context: a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan."

Archival Overview

Master Finnish National Romantic and Art Deco architect who designed the iconic Helsinki Central Railway Station and Hvitträsk, and led Cranbrook Academy of Art in America.

Biographical Record

Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen was born on August 20, 1873, in Rantasalmi. Graduating in architecture and painting in Helsinki, he partnered with Herman Gesellius and Armas Lindgren, building the famous studio home Hvitträsk in Kirkkonummi.

Saarinen gained worldwide renown for designing the Finnish Pavilion at the 1900 Paris Exposition and his granite masterpiece, the Helsinki Central Railway Station (1909–1919), flanked by colossal lantern-holding statues. Taking second place in the 1922 Chicago Tribune Tower competition, he moved to the United States, where he designed and served as first president of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, mentoring Charles Eames, Harry Bertoia, and his son Eero.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Hvitträsk Grounds
Kirkkonummi, Finland

                         GPS: 60.1817, 24.5200                    

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