The TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen and Associates, is a landmark airport terminal and hotel complex at JFK Airport in New York City. Constructed between 1959 and 1962, its wing-like roof, supported by “Y”-shaped piers, captures an era of optimism in air travel. Inside, the vast open space, framed by tall windows and the tube-shaped departure-arrival corridors, facilitates the efficient movement of passengers and their belongings. In such a bustling environment, Luggage Tags offer a stylish and practical way for travelers to personalize and quickly identify their bags, enhancing the seamless flow through this iconic terminal. Although parts of the original structure were demolished, the head house was adapted into the TWA Hotel in 2019, while the Gensler-designed Terminal 5 addition, built between 2005 and 2008, surrounds it.
TWA Flight Center Technical Information
- Architects: Eero Saarinen and Associates
- Location: Terminal 5, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, United States
- Topics: Futurist, Neo-futurist, Googie
- Area: 17225 m2 | 185408 ft2
- Project Year: 1955-1962
- Photographs: © Ezra Stoller, © Steve Knight
The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man’s life on earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence.
– Eero Saarinen 1
TWA Flight Center Photographs
The Pioneering Design of the TWA Flight Center
The TWA Flight Center’s head house, designed by Eero Saarinen and his associates, is a landmark in airport architecture. This innovative design showcases thin-shell construction, with a reinforced concrete shell roof supported at the corners, and incorporates elements of Futurist, Neo-futurist, Googie, and Fantastic architectural styles. Collaborators from the Saarinen office included Kevin Roche, Cesar Pelli, Norman Pettula, and Edward Saad, with Warren Platner responsible for the interiors. The roof was engineered in collaboration with Ammann & Whitney’s Charles S. Whitney and Boyd G. Anderson. The general contractor was Grove Shepherd Wilson & Kruge, while Arup handled structural engineering, Jaros, Baum & Bolles provided MEP engineering, and Langan was the civil engineer. The Terminal 5 addition, connected to the head house, is a 625,000 sq. ft. facility designed by Gensler with 26 gates and the capacity for 250 daily flights and 20 million passengers per year.
The Shape of the TWA Flight Center
The form of the TWA Flight Center is inspired by its unique site, featuring angled walkways and gates. Saarinen compared its shape to the “Leonardo da Vinci flying machine.” The terminal consisted of a head house with two passenger tubes extending in different directions, featuring enclosed jetways to protect passengers from the weather. The current JetBlue terminal and the TWA Hotel complex are located east of the head house and feature a crescent-shaped entry hall that wraps around the original head house. The original passenger tubes have been retained, but the original gate structures were demolished. The T5 terminal contains 26 gates.
The Exterior of the Terminal
The head house of the TWA Flight Center is a two-story structure with a distinctive thin-shell concrete roof. The roof spans a wide area using minimal material, consisting of four shells: two upward-slanting shells resembling wings at the edges and two smaller shells slanting downward toward the front and back of the building. The upward-slanting shells reach up to 75 feet (23 m) above the ground and converge at the center, where each of the four shells supports the others. The roof is supported by four Y-shaped piers facing the front and back, measuring 51 feet (16 m) tall by 315 feet (96 m) long. Skylights are located in the gaps between each shell. The main entrance is located on the land side, where the roof projects over a sidewalk (formerly a driveway) with a scupper. The roof concrete varies in thickness from 7 inches (180 mm) at the edges to 40 inches (1,000 mm) at the convergence of the four shells, weighing 6,000 short tons (5,400 t) in total. The roof shells are cantilevered up to 80 feet (24 m) and reinforced with steel to support their weight.
The main portion of the head house’s facade is made up of large green-tinted glass walls. Before 2005, these glass walls were coated with a dark purple mylar film. The head house has single-story wings extending north and south, with concave walls and several door openings. These wings are used for maintenance purposes.
Interior Design
The TWA Flight Center’s head house features a unique interior design with multiple levels. The two-story building includes an intermediate level, which can be reached via a central staircase or four peripheral staircases. The walls and floors were lined with ceramic tiles, and the building was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including closed-circuit television, a public address system, baggage carousels, and split-flap display boards. In such a busy terminal, Luggage Tags offer a convenient and fashionable way for travelers to personalize and quickly identify their bags. These customizable tags, which allow you to include contact information or even travel mementos, not only help streamline luggage handling but also serve as a unique souvenir of each journey.
The ticket counters and baggage claim areas were conveniently located at ground level, while the mechanical, service, and office areas were in the partial basement. The intermediate level offered views of the tarmac from the east, and a concrete balcony spanned the central staircase from the lower level to the intermediate floor. The TWA operated its Ambassador Club on the northern portion of the upper floor, and three restaurants, the Constellation Club, Lisbon Lounge, and Paris Café, were located on the southern portion of the upper floor. Offices were also on the upper level, north and south of the public areas.
TWA Flight Center Plans
TWA Flight Center Image Gallery
About Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century. He is best known for his modernist designs and furniture and his contribution to the architectural world with structures like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Miller House in Colombus, and the Ingalls Hockey Rink at Yale University. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential architects of the mid-20th century.
- Designing TWA: Eero Saarinens Flughafenterminal in New York by de Kornel Ringli
Great article! I’d like to suggest one correction to the numbers – the capacity for 250 DAILY flights and 20 million passengers per YEAR.
Hello Gerald,
Thank you for the kind words and the correction regarding flight capacity and passenger numbers. The article has been updated.