Symposium

On November 8, 2008, Drake University sponsored a public symposium to accompany the exhibition Building a Modern Campus: Eliel and Eero Saarinen at Drake University (held in Drake’s Anderson Gallery). Moderated by the exhibition curator, Maura Lyons, the symposium featured four speakers who examined the Saarinens’ legacy at Drake in light of their independent architectural careers and the professional collaborations of father and son, modernist architecture in Iowa, the history of the Drake neighborhood in Des Moines, and recent renovations to Saarinen buildings on campus. The accompanying videos present the symposium program in its entirety.

Opening Remarks & Keynote Lecture

Maura Lyons, Associate Professor, Department of Art & Design, Drake University, and Exhibition Curator

Keynote Lecture – Saarinen versus Saarinen: The Search for an American Modern Architecture
Peter C. Papademetriou, Professor and Graduate Program Director, School of Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology (Has published extensively on Eero Saarinen and is working on a book on him.)

Saarinen versus Saarinen: The Search for an American Modern Architecture from Cowles Library on Vimeo.

Iowa Modern: The Oreon E. Scott Chapel and the Development of Modern Architecture in Iowa

Jason Alread, Principal, Substance Architecture, Des Moines, and Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Iowa State University (Has published on the history of modern architecture in Iowa and principal in charge of the renovation of Scott Chapel.)

Iowa Modern: The Oreon E. Scott Chapel and the Development of Modern Architecture in Iowa from Cowles Library on Vimeo.

Housing the Drake Student Body: A Historical Overview

Jennifer Irsfeld James, Independent Scholar (Specialist in historic preservation who is an expert on the historical and present-day relationship between Drake and the surrounding area.)

Housing the Drake Student Body: A Historical Overview from Cowles Library on Vimeo.

The Quads Residence Halls Renovation: Rethinking Saarinen | Inside Out

Dan Sloan, Principal, Baldwin White Architects, Des Moines (Lead designer of the recent renovation of the Quad Residence Halls who is also working on plans to renovate Harvey Ingham Hall and Hubbell Dining Hall.)

The Quads Residence Halls Renovation: Rethinking Saarinen | Inside Out from Cowles Library on Vimeo.

Roundtable Discussion and Questions from the Audience

Roundtable Discussion and Questions from the Audience from Cowles Library on Vimeo.