Saarinen, Eliel

Saarinen, Eliel
531 Fifth Street Columbus, IN 47201

Eliel Saarinen is associated in Columbus, Indiana, with First Christian Church, completed in 1942. Designed with collaboration from Eero Saarinen, the building was the first contemporary building in Columbus and one of the first churches of contemporary architecture in the United States, making it a foundational work in the city’s modern architectural story. Before coming to the United States, Eliel Saarinen was known in Finland for major early twentieth-century works; in America, he became a central figure at Cranbrook Academy of Art, which he helped design and where he served as the school’s first president. His Columbus church reflects the clarity, craft, and restrained monumentality that shaped his broader career.

Columbus, Indiana projects
• First Christian Church, 531 Fifth Street, 1942

Work in Columbus