Eero Saarinen's Firestone Baars Chapel: Poetics of a Sacred Place

Abstract

Objective

The objectives of this criticism are to provide a brief history and description of the Chapel, review the coincidence between expression and interpretation through functionalist and formalist approaches, make conjectures about the origin of the Chapel's interior, and draw conclusions about the poetic qualities of the Chapel's humanistically conceived space.

Research Design

The above objectives are met by reviewing original archival material, conducting on–site observations, interviewing current and retired faculty, and documenting the interior space through photographs.

Analysis

Two types of analysis focus on the interior. The first is historical with regards to the Chapel's conception and the origin of its form. The second uses a framework for criticism that is based on the search for coincidence between the expression and interpretation of the Chapel's space.

Key Findings

The criticism articulates why this inconspicuous Chapel radiates poetics of a sacred place.

Conclusions

Criticism of the Chapel promotes a better understanding of Saarinen's approach to the design of a sacred place. Time has not diminished the fundamental qualities of the space, its genuineness, and probity. Saarinen's Chapel endures as a place for human existence at the meeting point between heaven and earth.