Traveler's Edition
Opened in 1962, the former TWA Flight Center terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport is still celebrated as an icon of the Jet Age. It will open its doors once more before its re-development to a luxury hotel.
The building will welcome visitors on October 18th as part of the Open House New York initiative that opens the doors to some of the city’s landmarks.
The terminal was designed by the Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, although it is an architectural masterpiece, on a practical level it was a flop.
The terminal struggled to keep up with the demand brought on by rapid advances in air travel. It failed to handle larger jets and couldn’t accommodate the increase volume of passengers.
The terminal was closed in 2001 when TWA, the airline it was built for went out of business. Now MCR development plans to invest $265 million to turn it into JFK’s first on-site luxury hotel.
