#11/Children of Genius: Susan Saarinen & Raymond Neutra with Marvin Malecha

US Modernist Radio - Architecture You Love

Landscape architect Susan Saarinen, daughter of architect Eero Saarinen, granddaughter of architect Eliel Saarinen (pronounced sahrr-uh-nen), andRaymond Neutra, retired physician and epidemiologist in California, son of architect Richard Neutra (pronounced noy-tra). In the 1950's when the general public really didn’t pay much attention to architects, Richard Neutra and Eero Saarinen were rockstars, creating buildings like the TWA Terminal at JFK and the Kaufmann house. They were each on the cover of TIME magazine and brilliantly shaped the period we now call mid-century Modernism. In the architect’s families, however, art and architecture were not just buildings or occasional topics of conversation, they were a way of life. Growing up as the child of a well-known star in any profession can be thrilling – and also stressful. We'll talk with Susan and Raymond about growing up with genius. Marvin Malecha is the Dean of the College of Design and Professor of Architecture at NC State University. He was President of the national AIA and Dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, where he worked closely with Neutra's wife Dione Neutra to save the famous VDL house as well as to protect Neutra's archives.

Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode: Richard Neutra / Eliel Saarinen / Eero Saarinen / Lillian Saarinen / Dione Neutra / Dion Neutra / Washington Dulles Airport / The St. Louis Arch / TWA's JFK Terminal / The Kaufmann House

George and Frank get updated on jello flavors! Eero Saarinen goes diving on Cape Cod! And, wait for it, we discover the real precautionary principle of epidemiology!