Good question – Is it a bad thing that Saarinen and Disneyland have so much in common? I think it speaks to the power of Saarinen’s architecture – the whimsy and the imagination he and his collaborators captured in their architecture and design. Disneyland’s goal was to transport people outside of their own time, and how interesting that their “future” land evoked the designs of architects working during that time. I don’t think, in this instance, it had anything to do with mimicking the architecture of successful corporations. The last thing Disneyland wants to do is remind people that they are walking through a brand, hmm?

Mission: The Walker Art Center, a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences, examines the questions that shape and inspire us as individuals, cultures, and communities.

Not the history of modern art.

Is the museum’s mission to present the history of modern art and culture to the people of the twin cities or is it simply another marketing gimmick designed to attract their disposable income?

The topic of this blog is a serious one. What will the future look like and how can design help determine what actually comes about? One might ask why Saarinen and Disneyland could have so much in common (while investigating the fact that Saarinen was the dominant corporate architect of his time who introduced new and innovative ways to produce buildings that worked with, and advanced, the corporate identity and marketing plans of his clients) If Saarinen’s designs were not palatable for coproate capital, then Disney could not have so successfully copied them for use in their theme parks.

This type of reflection is far beyond the “new” Walker, who it seems would rather produce a theme park of their own. Then again, this is an institution that seemingly misses the irony of demolishing one of the most important postwar modernist buildings in America only to erect a mini-golf course on the site, and then bring in a major show on postwar architecture.

Brynnar Swenson

b.Eero Saarinen

c.Eero Saarinen

d.Eero Saarinen

e.Disneyland

f.Eero Saarinen

g.Disneyland

h.Disneyland

i.Eero Saarinen

j.Eero Saarinen

e. Disneyland f.Eero Saarinen g.Eero Saarinen h.Disneyland

i. Eero Saarinen j. Eero Saarinen