In the 1950s and 1960s, the Detroit area was a hotbed of Modernist architecture, with not only Yamasaki, but also Eero Saarinen, Alden Dow, and the designers at Cranbrook working in the area. Yamasaki was working to differentiate himself by exploring ornamentation and the use of historical forms like arches and columns, as well as the use of light and shadow, and integral pools and gardens. These buildings represent Yamasaki's honing of his vision, and were built at a time when he was becoming increasingly famous, garnering commissions for the United States Science Pavilion at the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle and, in 1963, the World Trade Center.