Worldport Terminal at dawn hyperallergic.com |
I'd like to take a moment to once again thank you for all your support of this blog, it really means a lot to me. I hope you'll show the same kind of love for Tower Records on Sunset Strip. Please go to http://www.change.org, read the online petition, sign it, and spread the word. We can't let the "old girl" fall victim to the wrecking ball. Today, I'd like to bring you an update on the late lamented TWA Worldport at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Fortunately, this ode to the mid-century glamour of air travel has not fallen victim to the wrecking ball, yet. However, Mark Byrnes reported in The Atlantic Cities on September 20, 2013, there is a proposal to turn it into a hotel. This has possibilities.
Worldport interior hyperallergic.com |
Once upon a time, the TWA Flight Center at JFK airport was the ultimate symbol of jet travel. The iconic building, designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, opened in 1962 and instantly became an award winning architectural masterpiece. In fact, no less than Robert A.M. Stern called it the "Grand Central of the jet age." Unfortunately, the future turned out to be not so bright for this landmark of mid-century modernism. In 2001, the terminal closed when TWA ceased operations. It still opens from time to time for special events: open houses and briefly, an art gallery that was quickly vandalized and shuttered.
The "Grand Staircase" of Worldport untappedcities.com |
Inside the jetway theboweryboys.blogspot.com |
For along time, the Port Authority has tried to resuscitate the TWA terminal. At first, the agency proposed a restaurant and conference center surrounded by one or two new terminals but was opposed by the Municipal Arts Society of New York and well-known architects such as Robert A.M. Stern for compromising the venerable structure. Andre Balazs, the developer tasked with defining the terminal's next phase, claims Eero Saarinen as "personal hero" and promises that the architect's vision will be preserved. In the meantime, portions of the original facility were demolished to make way for a new Jet Blue terminal which opened in 2008 and partially surrounds the former TWA facility. Regardless, the TWA terminal still remains a powerful magnet for architectural fan around the world.
TWA flight information board aimlesswandering.wordpress.co |
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