Gateway Arch National Park

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
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Gateway Arch National Park

Credit

© Nic Lehoux

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Gateway Arch National Park

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Gateway Arch National Park

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Gateway Arch National Park

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Gateway Arch National Park

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Gateway Arch National Park

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Gateway Arch National Park

Site overview

At 630 feet in height, the stainless steel St. Louis Arch at the Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) dominates the landscape of its surroundings. The arch stands as the first major design by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and is shaped in an inverted catenary curve. Each section is a double-walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior, all held together by welded high strength steel rods. The Gateway Arch is the largest monument in the United States and has become the unofficial symbol for the city of St. Louis, Missouri, where it continues to draw millions of annual visitors.

Awards

Design

Award of Excellence

Civic

The Civic Design Award of Excellence is given for the restoration of the Gateway Arch Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. Eero Saarinen’s iconic Gateway Arch is imbued with beauty, meaning, discipline, and technological achievement. Since it was completed in 1965, it has been one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks. This project addressed multiple complex needs, including: modernization of the underground museum, built concurrently with the Arch, reconnecting the site to the rest of the city, which had been cut off by an interstate highway, and the repair and prevention of surface discoloration around the base of the Arch. In a project that embodies the “it takes a village” mentality, the jury lauded all those involved for making bold choices to ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime project was completed to exceptionally high standards.

"From a landscape perspective, this is a case where the challenges were great, and the team succeeded in solving complicated, significant systems-based problems, addressing the ways the site was broken, and making it more functional.”

- Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR, 2019 Jury member
Client

Gateway Arch Park Foundation

Restoration Team

Cooper Robertson (Architecture), James Carpenter Design Associates (Architecture), Trivers (Architecture), Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (Landscape Architecture), Haley Sharpe Design (Exhibit Design), Alper Audi (Structural Engineer), Eckersley O'Callaghan (Structural Glazing/Façade), Cowell Engineering (Exhibit Structural Design), IMEG Corp. (Mechanical, Electrical, Technology Engineer), KAI Design & Build (Plumbing & Fire Protection Engineer), Tillotson Design Associates (Lighting Designer), Jaffe Holden (Audio Visual Consultant), Shen Milsom Wilke (Telecom, Electronic Security), Van Deusen & Associates (Vertical Transportation), Henshell & Buccellato (Waterproofing Consultant), Dennis G. Glore (Food Service Consultant), Hellmuth Bicknese (LEED Consultant), Acousticontrol (Acoustical Consultant), Cohen Hilberry Architects (Acccessibility & Universal Design Consultant), ABS Consulting (Physical Security Consultant), Randy Burkett Lighting Design (Site Lighting Designer), Landtech Design (Irrigation Designer), Hydro Dramatics (Fountain Designer), Olsson Associates (Soil Scientist), Ecological Landscape Management (Ecological Arborist), David Mason & Associates (Water Distribution & Roadway Civil / Structural Engineer), Civil Design, Inc. (Stormwater Civil Design), Geotechnology (Site & Building Geotechnical Engineer), Engineering Design Source, Inc. (Site Surveyor)

Primary classification

Monuments (MON)

Terms of protection

National Historic Landmark, 1987. State Register.

Designations

Historic District on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, listed on October 15, 1966

Author(s)

Julia Hunter Palmer | | 3/2008

How to Visit

Various public tours and viewing activities on site

Location

11 North Fourth Street
St. Louis, MO, 63102

Country

US
More visitation information

Designer(s)

Other designers

The original team included architect Lily Swann Saarinen, illustrator J. Henderson Barr, designer Alexander Girard, landscape architect Dan Kiley, engineer Severud-Elstad Kreuger.

Related News

Related Sites

Commission

1948

Completion

1966

Commission / Completion details

Eero Saarinen won the project commission in 1948. Following years of financial and political delays, construction finally began in 1962. The last section of the arch was placed in October 1965 and the opening dedication ceremony occurred in 1966. The official dedication took place in 1968, when the landscaping was completed.

Original Brief

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association was created in 1933 to revitalize the riverfront of St. Louis by honoring the City as "a gateway to western expansion" and Thomas Jefferson with a monument. The riverfront contained over 50 blocks of historic cast iron buildings, dating from the 1850s, 1860s, 1870s. The local government believed these buildings reflected the decline of the city, and sold the property to the National Park Service to demolish to make way for the new memorial. Three historic buildings, Old Courthouse, Old Saint Louis Cathedral and Manuel Lisa, were saved and are now included in the site. In 1934 Congress formed the US Territorial Expansion Memorial Commission to work with Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association, and in 1935 the Historic Sites and Bridges Act was passed. The National Park Service developed the Historic Saint Louis Site shortly thereafter. The site was an unban development of major proportion. The government allocated $6.7 million in federal funds under the Emergency Relief Act, which was matched by $2.25 million in city funds. As costs rose, this ratio remained. A $7.5 million bond was approved by citizens of St. Louis. The National Park put demolition of the site on hold in 1936 to focus on the War efforts. The Jefferson Memorial Competition finally occurred in 1948, and it was open to both architects and amateurs. The committee specifically did not want a living memorial, such as an airport. The brief called for "a striking element, not only to be seen from a distance in the landscape but also as a notable structure to be remembered and commented on as one of the conspicuous momuments of the country." The competition had 172 entries, including Charles Eames, Walter Gropius, Louis I. Kahn, Ralph Rapson, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Harry & John Weese, Minoru Yamasaki, Edward Durell Stone, and Isamu Noguchi. A mistake was made when the telegram announcing the winner was sent to Eliel Saarinen, but more champagne was opened days later when the error was corrected and Eero Saarinen was identified as the true winner. A tram The north tram opened to the public in 1967, followed by the south tram in 1968. The American Institute of Architects awarded the building its 25 Year Award in 1990. In 2018, the site was officially renamed the "Gateway Arch National Park."

Current Condition

The temporary jersey barriers on the northern perimeter of the Arch grounds have been replaced with heavy concrete bollards. The grand double staircase has been replaced with full width stairs similar to those in other Saarinen designs. A severe windstorm on July 19, 2006, damaged 204 of the 100 trees on the property. Many trees were completely destroyed and at least 100 had to be replaced. The monoculture of Rosehill Ash trees has resulted in the potential threat of infestation by emerald ash borers. Efforts to quarantine the insects in Michigan has failed and they have been sighted as far south as Chicago. Future project include a lid or connector between the Arch grounds and the Old Courthouse, and extensive development of the St. Louis Riverfront. A study of corrosion on the metal surfaces of the Arch was also conducted.

References

MERKEL, Jayne, Eero Saarinen, New York. Phaidon Press; 2005; ISBN 071484277X. | http://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/66000941.pdf