The TWA Flight Center
A Neo-Futurist palace in the golden age of travel
Alex Q. Arbuckle
1962-1973
Designed by famed architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962, one year after his death, the Trans World Airlines Flight Center was regarded as an architectural marvel.Housed in Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the center's Neo-futurist design featured curving, pristine white surfaces, expansive windows and a roof evoking the wings of a bird in flight.Contrasting with the stark white of the walls and ceiling were the deep TWA-red seats in the departures lounge and carpeting of the tubular corridors.The spectacular building served customers for nearly four decades, and was designated a historic landmark in 1994. The flight center closed to the public in 2001 after TWA was absorbed by American Airlines, and has been unused since.Recently, plans have been announced to incorporate the historic concourse into a brand new 505-room hotel, revitalizing the space while maintaining its original aesthetic.
All the curves, all the spaces and elements right down to the shape of the signs, display boards, railings and check-in desks were to be of a matching nature. - Eero Saarinen
We wanted passengers passing through the building to experience a fully-designed environment, in which each part arises from another and everything belongs to the same formal world. - Eero Saarinen
