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Some have called it one-half of McDonalds’ Golden Arches; others, a croquet wicket. But whatever those naysayers think, the Gateway Arch is as every bit of St. Louis as Cardinals baseball and Budweiser beer. And today, the symbol of westward expansion celebrates its 45th anniversary. It also captures the bustling spirit of the riverfront that deteriorated once the river industry swapped steamboats with barges and railroads switched to the Eads Bridge.
Although the federal government commissioned the national memorial in 1935, the search for a design didn’t kick-off until 1947. The Arch design by Eero Saarinen was one of 172 entries (and only one of five that made it to the semifinals) and was recognized as being astounding even in the first round, says Bob Moore, historian for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. “You have to give credit to Eero Saarinen and the jury for having the guts,” Moore says.
But what would the riverfront look like if Saarinen’s design wasn’t chosen? St. Louis Magazine gathered photos of the runner-ups in honor of the Arch’s 45th anniversary to size up competition and see how different St. Louis could look today.
Images courtesy of the National Park Service, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Archives
Eero Saarinen (1st Place)
Relatively unknown at the time of the contest, Saarinen was a Finnish–born architect living in the shadows of his famous father, who was also an architect and had also entered a design in the competition. Saarinen wanted the Arch to be taller than the Washington Monument, which at 555 feet was the tallest monument in the country. Saarinen died before the completion of the Arch, but his desire to beat the Washington Monument was fulfilled—the Arch stands at 630 feet and is still the tallest in the country.
Gordon Phillips and William Eng (2nd Place)
Eng worked with Saarinen from 1955–1960 in Michigan, where they collaborated on the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. He later joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
William Breger, Caleb Hornbostel, and George S. Lewis (3rd Place)
Breger studied under the founder of the Bauhaus School of Architecture and later became known for his designs of long-term nursing facilities. He also designed the New York Civic Center Synagogue, notable for its “floating” appearance.
Before the St. Louis competition, Hornbostel competed in the Wheaton College art centre contest where, at age 33, he beat famous architects Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. In the later half of the twentieth century, Hornbostel coauthored several architecture books.
Lewis became the director of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects and was outspoken in building preservation. In 1985, the chapter established in an award in his honor.
T. Marshall Rainey (Honorable Mention)
Cleveland native Rainey spent his entire architecture career in Ohio where he worked on plans for a waterfront highway in Cincinnati and worked as a design critic at the University of Cincinnati.
Harris Armstrong (Honorable Mention)
The only finalist from St. Louis, Kirkwood–based Armstrong was also the only solo-finalist in the competition. His first round submission is considered bold and daring as he proposed to dramatically change the levee. The seven-man jury thought the design was impractical, yet chose Armstrong as a semi-finalist for showing promise. He completely reworked his design, which ultimately didn’t impress the jury. His others projects included the home of Carl and Gerty Cori (Nobel Peace Prize recipients), Washington University, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation and the St. Louis Ethical Society.
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial will commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Arch from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 30 at the Gateway Arch Visitors Center. Guests will have the opportunity to hear first-hand recollections from the actual builders. A 45th birthday cake will be available in the Levee Mercantile while supplies last. For more information, call 655–1700.
