Eero Saarinen – JNPA Blog

The Genius behind the Arch Tram Ride

Published on September 13, 2022October 11, 2022 by JNPALeave a comment

A ride to the top of the Gateway Arch is an unusual experience. Visitors sit in somewhat cramped little capsules that carry them upward and downward through the legs of the Arch. All the while, they hear strange clicking noises as the capsules constantly pivot to stay upright. Most people probably give very little thought to how this one-of-a-kind transportation system came about. But it’s a fascinating story, mostly centered on one very clever inventor.

The Arch tram ride was conceived in just two short weeks by a humble man who never received a college degree. Dick Bowser was a 38-year-old second-generation elevator manufacturer working in Des Moines, Iowa, when Gateway Arch architect Eero Saarinen asked him to develop a way to bring visitors to the top of the Arch and back down. The project was extremely challenging given the curve of the Arch (it is much narrower at the top than at the base), and the fact that he had to leave room for an observation platform at the top as well as space for a maintenance crew stairway.

A cross section view of the tram ride to the top of the Arch.

Another challenge was Saarinen’s timeline – Bowser was given just two weeks to submit a design for the Arch passenger system! Working day and night at home in his basement, he came up with a concept that borrowed from the mechanics of both Ferris wheels and elevators, resulting in a small curving train of linked passenger capsules. His tram concept was accepted by Saarinen and his team. Bowser was hired to build and install the tram, which opened in 1967, two years after the Arch itself was completed. He then served as tram maintenance supervisor until 1972.

A cross section view of the tram load zone.

Dick Bowser passed away in 2003, but his crowning achievement lives on. “Dick Bowser is a trailblazer in innovation and invention and will always be an important figure in Arch history,” says Pam Sanfilippo, Program Manager, Museum Services & Interpretation, Gateway Arch National Park. “Without his Tram Ride to the Top design, tens of millions of visitors to the Arch would not have had the experience of ascending 630 feet to the top of the monument.”

That’s why the National Park Service will be honoring Bowser’s memory this Thursday September 15 on the occasion of his 101^st birthday. The daylong public celebration at the Arch will include a panel discussion by previous and current tram mechanics as well as ongoing ranger talks and kids’ activities. The Arch Store will offer a rare 25% discount on our unique Arch cable replicas, made from the cables that pull the tram cars, and the Arch Café will hand out free cupcakes.

“A great arch did seem right.”

Published on August 16, 2022September 27, 2022 by JNPA1 Comment

It has been called brilliant, inspirational, breathtaking, a true architectural marvel. Those who have visited the Gateway Arch rarely forget their first glimpse of the shimmering stainless steel icon. It soars 630 feet above the St. Louis riverfront, standing as a lasting memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of exploring the American West. But who was the creative genius behind the design of the Arch?

When St. Louis officials decided in 1947 to erect a monument to President Jefferson on the downtown riverfront, they invited architects from around the world to submit designs. A little-known Finnish architect named Eero Saarinen beat out more prominent designers with his plans for a majestic arch rising from the riverbanks. The competition judges appreciated the symbolism of an arch as a reference to St. Louis’ historic role as a “gateway to the west.” As Saarinen said at the time, “The major concern… was to create a monument which would have lasting significance and would be a landmark of our time… Neither an obelisk nor a rectangular box nor a dome seemed right on this site or for this purpose. But here, at the edge of the Mississippi River, a great arch did seem right.”

Beyond its architectural beauty, the Arch is also an engineering marvel. Each leg consists of double-walled steel equilateral triangles which are stacked one on top of the other and welded together. The complex engineering design and construction is completely hidden from view; all that can be seen from the outside is its sparkling, stainless steel outer skin.

Nor did Saarinen intend for visitors just to look at the Arch – he wanted them to go inside it and travel to the top. So he designed the structure’s two legs to be hollow, allowing enough room for a specially designed tram to transport guests up and down, itself a daunting engineering challenge.

Saarinen went on to design other prominent American buildings, including the TWA airport terminal in New York, Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., as well as numerous churches, university buildings, and corporate headquarters. He was also an influential furniture designer, responsible for the famous Tulip Chair and other well-known mid-century pieces.

Saarinen would be turning 112 years old on August 20. What better way to commemorate his birthday than with a trip to the Gateway Arch, where you can admire his architectural wonder and learn more about the building of the monument in the Arch Museum. Or you might want to purchase one of the many Saarinen-related products we sell at The Arch Store, like this handsome tote bag.