CityRealty Insider > The Future as History: TWA Terminal at JFK

The Future as History: TWA Terminal at JFK

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

Perhaps you’ve had a chance to admire it from afar but it’s hard not to notice the distinctive beauty of the Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport.

Saarinen was commissioned to build the new terminal in 1956, just as the Jet Age was taking off. His directive: to capture “the spirit of flight.” The Trans World Flight Center was opened in 1962 (Saarinen died in 1961, before the building was completed).

The terminal’s soaring curves (photos at Arch Daily) do indeed evoke the feeling of flight, and its bright-white concrete exterior—braced from within by a web of steel reinforcements—has lost none of its ability to impress. The terminal was designated an historic landmark in 1994, and it was subsequently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The terminal has been closed since 2001 but Jet Blue stepped in with plans to incorporate the historic terminal into its new Terminal 5 complex (known as T5). The airline has since built its own version of the modernist masterpiece, and the next chapter for the classic building is still being determined. The Port Authority is reviewing proposals and seeking a new tenant for the space—possibilities include a conference center, an aviation museum, and a restaurant.

ALSO IN NEW YORK CITY INSIDER

© 2024 CityRealty.com, LLC Powered by Leadkit Terms of Use Privacy Policy Site Map

RLS IDX Data display by CityRealty.com, LLC. This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. ©2024 The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., All rights reserved. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.

All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. All dimensions are approximate. For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer and for no listing shall the number of bedrooms listed be considered a legal conclusion.

All closed sales data has been provided by the New York City Department of Finance via the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS). No warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy of any data provided by ACRIS or any other sources.

CityRealty is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities. We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of our web experience for everyone, and we welcome feedback and accommodation requests. If you wish to report an issue or seek an accommodation, please contact us at accessibility@cityrealty.com.

An equal housing opportunity

{"1":[40.775,-73.94,"East Side","_es"],"2":[40.79,-73.99,"West Side","_ws"],"11":[40.76,-73.98,"Midtown","_m"],"3":[40.736,-73.99,"Downtown","_d"],"13":[40.711309,-74.01,"Financial
District\/BPC","_fd"],"4":[40.682676,-73.973007,"Brooklyn","_b"],"12":[40.8444,-73.9376,"Upper Manhattan","_um"],"5":[40.7477089,-73.930411,"LIC \/ Queens","_qns"],"18":[40.8889782,-73.9025,"The Bronx","_bx"]}