Eero Saarinen, Finnish-American architect & industrial designer, birthday 20 August 1910
Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera, Mexican painters, anniversary of 1st marriage 21 August 1929
Hurricane Andrew, Category 5 storm, anniversary of landfall in Florida 24 August 1992
Imagine getting a telegram letting you know that you are one
of five finalists in a competition for a major national monument project. Then halt your elation to receive a second
telegram two hours later notifying you that in fact it was, not you but your
son who was the finalist (with whom you also share a birthday). What would you do? Well if you were Eliel Saarinen, open a
second bottle of champagne and toast to your son’s success. This was the scene during the competition for
the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. As
testament to his talent, as magnificent as the arch is, it is only a small
sampling of what Eero was able to accomplish.
It could be said that, as a juror, he returned the favor to the universe
when he saved Jørn Utzon’s entry for the Sydney Opera House from the discard
pile. He captured the spirit of flight
with the TWA terminal (now utilized by Jet Blue) in Los Angeles. 
His design of the “Womb Chair” provided a seat
to Hugh Hefner for the momentous photo commemorating the premiere issue of
Playboy. It could be argued that with all these achievements
that the most prolific are the Tulip chair and Pedestal table. Again, for personal reasons, I long for
Eero’s giant white marble topped pedestal table in my dining room as many do. No wonder Eero’s designs are still offered in
major showrooms around the world. 
If we will entertain the imagination a moment longer, let’s
envision being mentored by a well-respected and renowned artist of the 20th
century. Then have that relationship
blossom into mutual respect and admiration leading to a matrimonial union which
promises to elevate your work. Thus is
what would evolve into the first marriage between Frida Kahlo and Diego
Rivera. It was actually Diego’s third
marriage and their subsequent years together would degrade into a tempestuous
relationship rife with extramarital affairs on both sides and eventually lead
to divorce. Later the two will remarry
each other once more which would thrive due to the fact that they lived in a
house where they didn’t actually have to live under the same roof. Their notorious home connected by an open-air bridge between the wings never overshadowed their separate and extreme talent. Frida’s work was equally grounded in traditional Mesoamerican themes and deep 
intrapersonal struggles. Diego’s work was socio-political banners for
revolutionary causes. Both were geniuses
in technique and product which established themselves independently as
essential artist of the era. It is
simply natural that two great contributors to modern art would be drawn both
intellectually and romantically together as their passion for the work was
reflective of their passion for life. 
A unique and seemingly counterintuitive feature of modern
South Florida homes is the out-swing front door. Nothing can be more unwelcoming than hitting
your guests in the face when you answer the doorbell. When Hurricane Andrew made landfall in south
Florida twenty years ago this week, the storm forever changed the architectural
landscape including this annoying feature to keep the door from blowing in. Largely to blame for the extensive
devastation were greedy developers who took dangerous short cuts in speedy home
construction that lead to the near complete leveling of Homestead. Since then, Miami-Dade County was successful
for once and got something right: creating stricter
building codes to protect the public which have become the model for multiple municipalities
along the east coast. As an architect I enjoy the opportunity to rebuild every few years but, I don’t want to give the impression that my eyes light up at the thought of mass destruction. On the contrary, a native Floridian like myself understands how to prepare for the occasional “hurrication” the same way
someone in the north knows how to prepare for a blizzard or a Californian knows
how to duck into a doorway when the walls sway.
It is a part of life and provides the opportunity to reflect on the
glory of electricity while grilling everything perishable from the refrigerator
on the back porch with your neighbors.
It also makes for a tougher licensing process for architects in Florida
and for that I am even more grateful.Links:
The Gateway Arch Memorial in St. Louis, MO
Images of The Gateway Arch during construction
Eero Saarinen pieces at Knoll
Eero Saarinen pieces at Design Within Reach
Eero Saarinen pieces at MoMA, New York City
PBS documentary of Frida Kahlo
PBS documentary of Diego Rivera
The Complete Works of Frida Kahlo
The complete works of Diego Rivera
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Miami-Dade Product Contol main page
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation
