Print this page Gateway Arch: Monument To A Dream
J.M. Syken
Course Outline
In this course, we will examine the background and history of the Gateway Arch National Park (a.k.a. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) in St. Louis Missouri. This will include the early origins of the City of St. Louis, its development as a commercial, industrial and cultural center and the role played by its riverfront. We will also examine the role St. Louis played in the westward expansion of the United States and how the riverfront memorial celebrates that proud heritage.
We will review the need for riverfront rehabilitation/development by the early 20th Century and how the idea of a memorial park with a thematic centerpiece was used to develop the riverfront into a national park while achieving “urban renewal” simultaneously. We will examine the politics, legislation, delays, design competition, structural engineering, architecture, innovative transportation system etc. that led to the creation of Gateway Arch. As well, we will study the peripheral development of the park, on-going maintenance problems and plans for the future development of the national park on both sides of the Mississippi River. The life and achievements of the arch’s creator: “Modernist Master” architect Eero Saarinen, will also be considered.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand/appreciate the desire for and goals of the westward expansion of the United States;
- Understand/appreciate the significance of the Mississippi River as “Gateway to the West” with St. Louis the focal point;
- Understand/appreciate the “Corps of Discovery” (a.k.a. Lewis & Clark Expedition) and the role it played in westward expansion;
- Understand/appreciate the founding and development of St. Louis as a commercial, industrial and cultural center of the Mississippi Valley;
- Understand/appreciate the decline of St. Louis’s riverfront and the renewal efforts dating from the 1880s through to the present-day;
- Understand/appreciate the role of attorney and civic leader/activist Luther Ely Smith in originating the idea to combine a national park commemorating national expansion with riverfront development;
- Understand/appreciate the role of the organization founded by Smith: Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association (JNEMA) – a.k.a. “Jenny May” and/or “The Association,” and the critical role it played in the 30+ year drama of creating the national park with Gateway Arch as its thematic centerpiece;
- Understand/appreciate the design competition held in 1948 for the national park and how Eero Saarinen emerged as winner with his inspired design for a symbolic arch;
- Understand/appreciate the life and work of the “Modernist Master” – architect Eero Saarinen;
- Understand/appreciate the design and construction of the Inverted Weighted Catenary that is Gateway Arch;
- Understand/appreciate the unique, innovative design of the arch transportation system;
- Understand/appreciate the peripheral developments on both sides of the river from the initial creation of the national park through to future expansion plans; and
- Understand/appreciate the on-going problem of corrosion and staining on the inside and outside of the arch and the corrective measures being taken.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.
Benefit to Attendees
The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into one of the greatest structures of the 20th Century: Gateway Arch
Course Introduction
The course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and viewing three(3) archival/documentary films;
Gateway Arch
Monumental Reflections: The Arch
Monument To The Dream
Gateway Arch is a short film produced by public television station KETC of St. Louis providing an overview of Gateway arch’s historical background. Monumental Reflections: The Arch, is another short film produced by KETC providing a background of Gateway Arch’s creator; architect Eero Saarinen. Monument to the Dream is an award-winning short documentary film by Charles Guggenheim documenting the heroic conception and erection of Gateway Arch between 1963 and 1965.
Course Content
In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:
Gateway Arch: Monument To A Dream (printable handout in PDF, 10 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Gateway Arch: Monument To A Dream (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 38 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Archival/Documentary Films;
TITLE: Gateway Arch
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EHBUfe873g&feature=relmfu
DURATION: 09:49
TITLE: Monumental Reflections: The Arch
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZA71TEtz4c
DURATION: 07:55
TITLE: Living St. Louis
LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB0EwAsCz14
DURATION: 27:22
Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.
Course Summary
Paris has the Eiffel Tower, Sydney has an Opera House and New York has the gracious lady of the harbor; the Statue of Liberty. But perhaps nowhere else has a structure been more transformative for a city than in St. Louis where a 630-foot tall stainless-steel architectural sculpture stands tall in the mid-western sun beckoning visitors to come and celebrate the history of the city, its historic riverfront and the expansion of the nation to the Pacific coast in the 19th Century. St. Louis was down and out in the years after WWI with Chicago emerging as the capital of the middle-United States. Once the fourth largest city in the country, it was a shadow of its former self. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the once bustling riverfront district. A group of enlightened citizens, politicians and business leaders knew instinctively that in St. Louis: as goes the riverfront, so goes the city. Long delayed because of both the Korean Conflict and WWII, the greatest stumbling block would be what, on the surface, appears to be fairly straightforward: relocation of an elevated railroad trestle. It proved much more difficult than appearances would have you believe and its relocation delayed the project by an entire decade. With the political haggling over, design work complete and funds in place, all that was left was for the men of daring and action to reach towards the sky with, as Leonardo DaVinci famously said: “two weaknesses which, one leaning upon the other, make a strength.”
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_Arch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_Saarinen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_National_Expansion_Memorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOQnctiFfEg (Film: History of the Arch: From the Romans to Modern the Day - 1:06:17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l6HLE1Xv5Y (Film: Gateway Arch - America's Tallest Monument - 53:04)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Cg6qfytlA (Film: Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future - 50:27)
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
