TWA Flight Center

Stuart Jacome
Arch 221- M11
Prof. Khorsandi
Blog Post
TWA Flight Center

The TWA Flight Center is located in Jamaica, Queens, USA; Part of John F. Kennedy international airport. Designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962; this building has a futurist, modern style. Originally commissioned in 1956, this structure is meant to “capture the spirit of flight”. To capture this concept, Saarinen uses curves along the edges of the building which connect in the middle. From a bird's eye view the terminal appears to have two massive wings; imitating wings of a jet plane or a bird in flight. The exterior facade of the building has continuous curvature elements which move inward. So that the ceiling turns into a wall and the wall becomes the ground. There are four volumes which extrude outward from the center creating the wings. The spaces inside the terminal are open; all of the walls and elements are organic with different shapes and curves so that individuals could experience the designed environment. Saarinen wanted everything in the terminal to feel as if it were part of it’s own world. Elements inside the building such as railings, signs, display boards, check- in desks...Etc were all designed to relate with the building curves and spaces. The structure of the building is made of reinforced concrete and steel webbing. Additionally, the glass panels surrounded by the concrete walls are supported with steel mullions. The glass panels are tilted outward; creating views of the planes as they arrive and depart. Aslo, the angle of the glass create the imagery of an individual looking out of a plane. Unfortunately, Saarinen passed away from a brain tumor in 1961; he didn’t see the completion of this modern structure. Along with him, his terminal was shut down in 2001 due to financial deterioration. Originally, JFK wanted multiple terminals for different airline companies however, this idea was never brought to life. The terminal is currently closed to the public, but there are several proposals to turn it into a restaurant, aviation museum, or even a hotel. On the bright side TWA was voted a official landmark on 1994.




New York Architecture Images- TWA Terminal. Accessed May 01, 2018. http://www.nyc-architecture.com/BKN/BKN002.htm.

"AD Classics: TWA Terminal / Eero Saarinen." ArchDaily. July 02, 2010. Accessed May 01, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/66828/ad-classics-twa-terminal-eero-saarinen.

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