2024-05-06T23:56:38-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/149953217/eero-saarinen-s-cia-weapon-designing-past Julia Ingalls 2016-06-22T13:27:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ou/ou59iq0lm1hmv9bt.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Saarinen&rsquo;s work for the spy agency mostly involved designing models of buildings and weapons that had yet to be built. He even worked on designs for the original war room in the White House. And the people at OSS claimed that he was so good at his job that he could not be replaced.</p></em><br /><br /><p>It's lucky for architecture that Eero Saarinen, who was known in the CIA as "Architectural Designer (Chief, Special Exhibits Division)" wasn't so successful at his work for the agency that he couldn't be replaced, although one wonders how much of that top secret work rubbed off on his later designs...</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/6p/6p3p0hxpclt98bsa.jpg"></p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/d3/d3s9g9mxxfwup1gw.jpg"></p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/zy/zyxxb4tmr8xnw4um.jpg"></p><p>For an in-depth look at trained architects who have succeeded in other pursuits:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/144981919/working-out-of-the-box-scott-paterson-of-ideo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Working Out of the Box: Scott Paterson of IDEO</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/111260780/working-out-of-the-box-anne-d-rian-architect-turned-mosaic-artist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Working out of the Box: Anne D&eacute;rian, Architect turned Mosaic Artist</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/85837677/working-out-of-the-box-the-sugar-lab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Working out of the Box: The Sugar Lab</a></li></ul>