John F. Kennedy International Airport bustles with millions of travelers coming and going, but amid the chaos is the opportunity to travel back in time, back to the swinging 1960s; the TWA Hotel, the last stop on our New York trip.

In the middle of the 1950s JFK, then known as Idlewild, sought to become a “Terminal City” with unique structures for each airline. TWA turned to one of the most iconic architects and designers of the time, Eero Saarinen. Saarinen has long been one of my favorite designers, and I believe this to be his crown jewel, and because of this, I apologize, this is a very picture heavy post.

Saarinen wanted efficiency and style. He and his team studied the time it took people to move through airports and train stations, and created a design around the flow the travelers. Inspired by a citrus peel, Saarinen went with a shell design, which by the time the project was announced in 1956, was already seen around the world, including Boston’s Kresge Auditorium, built in 1955, St. Louis’ Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, built in 1956, and Berlin’s Congress Hall, built in 1957.

Construction broke ground in 1959, and the first passengers walked through the lush futuristic TWA Flight Center in 1962. The marvelous structure graced the cover of magazines and seemed to epitomize the post-war optimism and glory of air travel. However the time and effort put into its efficient design would be short lived. The length of time it took to design and construct would be its downfall. While the swooping curves were sketched, made into models, and concrete poured, aviation was transforming. The propeller planes, such as the Constellation, were being replaced by larger jet engine planes, carrying more passengers. Shortly after opening, the TWA Flight Center reached its capacity. Seven million passengers were predicted to walk through en route to their destinations around the world, but before the mid-1960s it was nearly 11 million.

The TWA Flight Center limped along, and by the 1990s, JFK was looking to expand and demolish the Flight Center. But New York City saw the value of the amazing building and gave it local landmark status in 1994. In 2001 TWA was bought by American Airlines, and the Flight Center shuttered. It made two cameos the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, otherwise it remained pretty much vacant, but managed to land on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Ideas on what to do with it were thrown around, including a museum and conference center, but ultimately it was a hotel that won out, beginning the process in 2014.

The main Flight Center is now home to the check-in desk, multiple drinking and dining options, photo ops, while two new wings, accessed via the tube hallways, hold the 512  rooms. While new, they still evoke a 60s feel, and do not detract from the Flight Center itself. Atop one of the towers is a rooftop pool and bar. Scattered throughout are timelines, exhibits, including vintage uniforms (including ones designed by Howard Greer, Oleg Cassini, Pierre Balmain, and Don Loper), and fun photo ops, such as a faux beauty salon, interpretations of Saarinen’s office, Howard Hughs’ office (who headed up TWA from 1939 to 1960), and a 1960s living room. Outside of the Flight Center guests can board a 1958 Lockheed Constellation L-1649 Starliner aka “Connie” for cocktails. But by far the most enjoyable place to be is the Sunken Lounge, the interior focal point of the building. Covered in red carpet and red upholstery, it is the conversation pit to end all conversation pits. Looming above is one of the old arrival and departure signs that clacks as it rotates through cute images and text, such as the New York skyline, smiley faces, and more.

The really great thing about the TWA Hotel is that it offers day-time stays, which is what we did. Checking out of our Manhattan hotel early in the morning, we took the subway and Sky Train directly to the TWA Hotel, and checked in for a brief six hour stay before hopping aboard our plane back to LA.

Book your overnight or day stay at the TWA Hotel, located at 1 Idlewild Drive, in Queens, on their website, or if you happen to just be passing through, you can explore the lobby, and dine at the Paris Cafe, Connie, or Sunken Lounge without hotel reservations, just make sure to check their website for details.

Sources
Firshein, Sarah. “Preserving an icon.” Curbed New York, 23 July 2019.
Plitt, Amy. “The TWA Hotel, a spectacular midcentury time capsule, finally opens.” Curbed New York, 15 May 2019.
Ringli, Kronel. Designing TWA: Eero Saarinen’s Airport Terminal in New York. Park Books, 2018. Print.