Everything Everywhere Daily The Gateway Arch
Oct 8, 2025
Discover the fascinating history behind the stunning Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Constructed during the Great Depression, it symbolizes the city’s role in westward expansion. Learn about the innovative design by Eero Saarinen and the unique challenges faced during construction, from material choices to high-altitude assembly. The podcast also dives into the arch's cultural impact and the visitor experience, making it an iconic landmark. Experience a blend of architecture, history, and engineering that defined a generation.
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St. Louis As The Western Gateway
- St. Louis was once the primary gateway to the American West due to its location at the Mississippi-Missouri confluence.
- Its 19th-century role as the launch point for westward expansion made a waterfront memorial historically meaningful.
Depression-Era Push To Revitalize The Riverfront
- In 1933 civic leaders proposed a riverfront memorial to revive dilapidated warehouses and celebrate westward expansion.
- President Roosevelt empowered the Interior Department in 1935 and the government began clearing blocks by 1939 amid court battles.
Saarinen's Radical Modernist Design Wins
- A national design competition in 1945 produced 172 entries and selected Eero Saarinen's modernist arch in 1947.
- Saarinen's stainless steel arch rejected traditional memorial forms in favor of a simple abstract landmark.