Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO

My first memory of Eero Saarinen‘s work was going to the top of St. Louis’ Gateway Arch in June 1970, when I was 10 years old. Having grown up in suburban Detroit, I later remember gazing at the futuristic looking Design Dome and Watertower at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.

Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw The Future, the Season 30 finale of THIRTEEN’s American Masters series, premieres nationwide on Tuesday, December 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). The film follows Eric Saarinen — Eero’s son, who also served as the director of photography and co-producer — as he visits the sites of his father’s work, including Dulles International Airport; the Gateway Arch, St. Louis; and the TWA Flight Center, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. Shot with the latest in drone technology, the film showcases the architect’s body of timeless work in stunning 6K for the first time. (TAP TO WATCH PREVIEW)

More photos of Saarinen’s work:

The Design Dome at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan opened in 1955.

The reflecting pool and UFO-like 14-story stainless-steel water tower at the General Motors Technical Center

The TWA Flight Center opened in 1962 as the original terminal designed by Eero Saarinen for Trans World Airlines at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.