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TWA Hotel takes shape at JFK & in Manhattan (slideshow)

Reception desk at the TWA Hotel pre-opening sales office at the World Trade Center. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

The foundations have been laid and construction is proceeding on the new TWA Hotel at New York JFK Airport, a 505-room property that incorporates the original 1962 TWA Terminal as its centerpiece.

A pair of guest room structures will soon rise on either side of the old terminal, which is being preserved and restored, and will also be linked to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at the airport. The hotel construction and terminal restoration is a project of MCR Development.

Designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, the terminal – also known as the TWA Flight Center — is distinguished by its sweeping curves, a striking example of the Midcentury Modern style. The TWA Hotel – the only on-site hotel at JFK – will also offer 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, eight food and beverage outlets, and a 10,000 square foot observation deck where plane spotters can watch aircraft take off and land.

The hotel this week cut the ribbon on a pre-opening sales office on the 86th floor of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. The office has many design elements taken from the TWA Flight Center, along with TWA memorabilia. A press release states: “With views from Manhattan to JFK Airport 12 miles to the east, the TWA lounge at 1WTC on the 86th floor, designed by Lubrano Ciavarra Architects, is informed by key design features of Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Flight Center.”

Wanna see the lounge at WTC in Manhattan? While it’s not really open to the public, here’s what a spokesperson told TravelSkills: We are thrilled to welcome partners, friends, and fans of the TWA brand at the TWA lounge.  We will be hosting special opportunities to visit the space so stay tuned. For now, appointments can be made by emailing 1WTC@TWAHotel.com.

The hotel already has a website at www.twahotel.com.

Here’s a look at both projects:

Carpeting inside the TWA Flight Center at JFK is still “TWA Red.” ((Image: Max Touhey)

 

The sweeping curves of the TWA Terminal’s exterior. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

The spacious interior of the TWA Flight Center. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

The foundation for the TWA Hotel is complete. (Image: MCR)

 

View of the construction zone from the JetBlue Terminal next door. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

Reception desk at the TWA Hotel pre-opening sales office at the World Trade Center. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

 

The TWA Lounge at the World Trade Center reflects the design from the TWA Flight Center. (Image: Jesse David Harris)

 

Vintage uniforms are on display at the TWA Lounge. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

Readers: Did you ever use the TWA Terminal at JFK? Are you glad it’s being preserved? Do you miss TWA?

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Comments

  1. This is awesome! Also, I think it’s the first on-airport hotel at JFK and will be a huge improvement from the depressing options a few miles away.

  3. Spent a lot of time in that terminal going back and forth from JFK to California in the 80s. It was a fun building, a bit obsolete in the 90s when TWA disappeared, that is probably why nobody used that terminal.
    But it’s beauty overrides any defect of it not being a terminal anymore. Glad that they have reached a happy compromise making it into a hotel.

  5. I was stationed in London (UK) back in the 60s and after spending my 30 days leave back home in Ohio I returned to London from JFK on TWA, and of course from the beautiful terminal. I am glad that the terminal will be preserved.

  6. During 1995-1996, I was a ghost rider (mystery flyer) for TWA. Almost every weekend, I flew around the world grading their service. During my 1.5 years in the program, I banked 420,000 miles (including bonus miles). A good majority of my trips connected through NYC. I am interested to see what the hotel will do with the famous Constillation Club.

  7. Yes only once thru TWA’s terminal at JFK, near the final waning days of TWA. We were in Lisbon, and TAP went on strike. TWA took our biz class booking. i recall flying a 767 LIS-JFK. It was old skool. i kid you not, during service they put up a small board as a shelf propped in the entrance door to hold cups, glasses. the tableware service dishes were mis matched like a vintage rummage sale. Remember well landing in one of the TWA pods, then walking thru one of the red carpeted walkways up and over into the main building shown above.

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