![]() Today, some 4 million people visit the park each year to wander its nearly 100 acres, soak up some history and take in the breathtaking views from Saarinen’s gleaming arch. In addition to the Gateway Arch, the Jefferson Expansion Memorial includes the Museum of Westward Expansion and the Old Courthouse of St. Louis' importance as the gateway to the west and development of the west. The Arch's design is meant to symbolize St. ![]() ![]() It was completed in October of 1965, but didn't open to the public until June of 1967. Movies are also available for a price, but you may want to just buy a copy on DVD in the gift shop if you have a large group. The Arch, museum and associate grounds are a National Park. ![]() Riding to the top of the arch still requires a fee, but is worth it, especially on a clear day. Louis history and the arch - and it is free. An internal tram system takes visitors to the top, where on a clear day they can see up to 30 miles across the winding Mississippi and to the Great Plains to the west. The new museum has a lot of exhibits about St. With foundations sunk 60 feet into the ground, its frame of stressed stainless steel is built to withstand both earthquakes and high winds. In a sad twist of fate, the architect died of a brain tumor in 1961 and did not live to see the construction of his now-famous arch, which began in February 1963.Ĭompleted in October 1965, the Gateway Arch cost less than $15 million to build. As part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Gateway Arch serves to commemorate the accomplishments of 19th-century westward pioneers and celebrate the city’s role as the ‘Gateway to the West.’. In 1947-48, Saarinen won a nationwide competition to design a monument honoring the spirit of the western pioneers. The tallest national monument in America, it is a legendary engineering triumph, designed by Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen. Subject to availability, blackout dates apply. Louis grew exponentially after the War of 1812, when great numbers of people began to travel by wagon train to seek their fortunes west of the Mississippi River. At this time, we are only able to provide two adult tickets for either the Tram Ride to the Top OR the St. As the market and supply point for fur traders and explorers-including the famous Meriwether Lewis and William Clark-the town of St. Louis’ central role in the rapid westward expansion that followed. The Gateway Arch, designed by Finnish-born, American-educated architect Eero Saarinen, was erected to commemorate President Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase of 1803 and to celebrate St. His international influences revolutionised architecture, but this design is a symbolic expression of American identity.Īlthough he died in 1961 at the age of 51, Eero Saarinen left numerous great works behind him.On October 28, 1965, construction is completed on the Gateway Arch, a spectacular 630-foot-high catenary curve of stainless steel marking the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on the waterfront of St. The public at the time was fascinated by its 630ft/192m tall curve, which cost 13 million dollars (at 1940s rates) to build.Įero Saarinen won fame and gratitude not just in the United States but internationally because of the avant-garde Gateway Arch. Construction began in 1963 and came to end end in 1965, the year before it was inaugurated. Louis, Missouri, is today known for its iconic and mysteriously futuristic arch. It symbolises American culture and civilisation. Its design resembles a similar arch intended to commemorate the 20th. The Gateway Arch is an archway in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St Louis, Missouri. The Gateway Arch was designed in 1947 by Eero Saarinen, a Finnish-American architect. Handerson Barr as associate designer, Dan Kiley as landscape architect, Lilian Swann as sculptor and Alexander Girard as painter began to create the project. By 1947, a team consisting of Saarinen himself as a designer, J. In 1945, he proposed the project as part of an architecture competition to design a memorial. After the Second World War, Saarinen contributed to the design of several buildings.Įero Saarinen was responsible for numerous monutmental buildings, notably the Gateway Arch. Located near the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, early pioneers, explorers, and fur traders stocked up on supplies in St. His professional career began when he started working with furniture in the family business. In 1923, he immigrated to the United States and became an American citizen, joining Yale University in 1931 to study architecture. He was the son of the renowned Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and an artist mother. Louis Arch is as tall as 60 elephants Standing at its base, the Arch juts up into the sky like an alien boomerang with both ends anchored to the ground. His name is associated with masterpieces in several important American cities.Įero Saarinen was born on 20th April 1910 in Kirkkonummi, Finland. Eero Saarinen was one of the most influential architects of the 20th Century.
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