The iconic Tulip Chair is one of the world's most recognisable designs. Saarinen's original design arose from finding a solution to the clutter of legs, his final design was the Tulip collection, or Pedestal range, which was its original name.
Eero Saarinen was born to famous parents from the design world, architect Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen. It came as no surprise that Eero was helping his father design furniture and fixtures for the Cranbrook campus by the time he was in his teens. In 1929 Eero left for Paris where he studied sculpture before enrolling in the Yale architecture program the following year. In 1934, he returned to Michigan to teach at Cranbrook, work on furniture designs, and practice architecture with his father. It was at Cranbrook that Saarinen met Charles Eames. The two young men, both committed to the exploration of potential new materials and processes, quickly became great friends, pushing each other creatively while collaborating on several projects. His most iconic design is the Knoll Tulip Table, a true Design Classic.
