With the (who’da thunk it?) first-ever Eero Saarinen retrospective reaching Minneapolis this fall (Walker Art Center, through January 4, walkerart.org), it’s tempting to reflect on the interrelationship between design and travel, poignantly expressed in this 1963 twilight shot of the Finnish-American architect’s Dulles International—when B.O.A.C. and PanAm ruled the air, cars were sparse and pretty, and Saarinen’s gorgeous catenary swoops implied a triumphant future for aviation. Great terminal buildings can still do that; shame about the flying.

"Looks Like Freedom" originally appeared in the Fall 2008 issue of Culture+Travel. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Culture+Travel's Fall 2008 Table of Contents.