The Richard Meier / Eero Saarinen Tour
Friday, January 22, 2010

Twenty seven hearty architectural adventurers got up at 3 in the morning to embark on a one-day whirlwind tour of projects by Richard Meier and Eero Saarinen.  From Atlanta, Raleigh, Miami, and Charlotte, participants converged on JFK for an incredible itinerary.  Photo by Leilani Carter.

 Upon landing, we explored Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK airport.  Closed to the public for years, we got inside and spoke with project managers about the current renovation. Top photo from 1962.  Bottom photo by Sharon Glazener.

Next, onto Long Island City, touring architect Richard Meier's model gallery, featuring 45+ years of his amazing projects including the massive Getty Center in LA and the relatively tiny  Smith House in Darien CT.  Bottom photo by Leilani Carter.

Back on the bus  - and on to to Darien CT to visit the Smith House, the landmark residence that catapulted Meier to fame in 1968.  Rarely accessed by the public, the house and grounds were completely open to us.  Photos by Sharon Glazener.

 

Awaiting the group in the afternoon, The Museum of the City of New York's Saarinen Exhibit.  This included a huge model of his TWA terminal plus a retrospective of his entire career.

Closing out the day, we toured the Museum of Modern Art’s Bauhaus exhibit, their first major exhibition since 1938 on this famous and influential school of avant-garde art. Founded in 1919 and shut down by the Nazis in 1933, the Bauhaus brought together artists, architects, and designers in an extraordinary conversation about the nature of art in the age of technology. Aiming to rethink the very form of modern life, the Bauhaus became the site of a dazzling array of experiments in the visual arts that have profoundly shaped our visual world.

This incredible trip was only $459 per person. Proceeds benefited our documentation and tour programs.

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