The TWA terminal, which opened in 1962, a year after the death of its architect Ero Saarinen, has become a shining symbol of post-war modernism and jet age, the era of jet aviation, when new generation aircraft made such travel both more convenient and affordable - and also gave them a special 'gloss . In 2001, its original customer, Trans World Airlines (TWA), ceased to exist, and the new owner, JetBlue Airways, the terminal soon created difficulties: it did not meet safety standards imposed after the September 11 attacks. As a result, even the demolition of the building was discussed, but in the end it was simply empty for many years. Since then, it was restored and removed asbestos by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (it is also responsible for airports), and in 2005 it received the status of a monument - federal and local (state) levels.
Since the beginning of the 2010s, there have been proposals to turn the Saarinen building into a hotel, more precisely, into its lobby - and to build the hotel itself nearby. Now a similar idea is almost realized: the discovery
TWA Hotel is scheduled for May 15, 2019.
JetBlue remains the owner of the masterpiece of modernism, the hotel is managed by one of the largest US owners and operators of hotels MCR, the third participant in the public-private partnership that brought the plan to life - the above-mentioned Port Authority. The reconstruction was carried out by the architects Beyer Blinder Belle and Lubrano Ciavarra, the interior of the hotel, whose two buildings are assigned to the TWA terminal, so as not to disturb the appearance of the monument, was designed by Stonehill Taylor.
The Saarinen building has now restored the historic interior design that Raymond Lowy, Charles and Ray Eames, Warren Platner worked on. Also, on 18,580 m2 of space (which makes the terminal the largest hotel lobby in the world), there will be a museum dedicated to the jet age era, the history of the TWA airline and American modernism of the mid-20th century, curated by the New York Historical Society. Provides meeting and event space for 1,400 people (4,645 m2), bars and restaurants, including an Intelligentsia coffee shop, and a cocktail lounge on a 1958 Lockheed Constellation “Connie” (L-1649 Starliner) parked nearby. Anyone can enter the building - via the AirTrain transport system or from Terminal 5 via the Saarinen-designed crossings.
512 rooms of the hotel received panoramic windows so that guests can admire the planes and the TWA terminal, but they will not be disturbed by the noise of the airfield: seven-layer glazing (11.4 cm), the second thickest in the world after facades
the new US Embassy in London, provides complete soundproofing. The furniture is furnished with armchairs and a table designed by Hero Saarinen by Knoll. There is an observation deck and a swimming pool overlooking the airfield on the roof of the hotel, and there is also a fitness center with an area of 930 m2, which the owners call the largest hotel gym in the world. The Flight Center Gothic font was specially designed for the hotel by Pentagram. The LEED Gold certification shared by the hotel's three buildings will be ensured, among other things, by an efficient cogeneration plant independent of the airport network.
