Top Story
Moline, IL - Virtual Advisory Services Panel
At the invitation of Renew Moline, a volunteer team of ULI members convened virtually in April 2021...
TWA Hotel – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist
May 4, 2021
Photo By TWA Hotel
The TWA Hotel celebrates the style of the Sixties in the landmarked Flight Center built by architect Eero Saarinen and TWA owner Howard Hughes in 1962. Vintage cars are now parked in the outdoor lot – and throughout the lobby.
Photo By TWA Hotel
The TWA Hotel offers 50,000 square feet of midcentury modern-inspired event space. Perfect for small and large gatherings, the 45 event rooms and five hospitality suites can host up to 1,600 people. A kosher kitchen is available. On the website, clients may immediately book boardrooms for up to 10 people without having to make one phone call.
Location: New York, NY, USA
Developers: MORSE Development
Designers: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners, LLP; LUBRANO CIAVARRA Architects; INC Architecture & Design; Stonehill Taylor; Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects
Site Size: 6.5 Acres
Photo By TWA Hotel
The Flight Center – including the jetway and iconic Vulcan clock – was restored in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Preservation. A new split-flap board was commissioned from Solari di Udine in Italy, which manufactured the terminal’s original board.
The TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen & Associates for Trans World Airlines at New York’s JFK International Airport, is one of the most significant examples of midcentury modern architecture. Completed in 1962, the Flight Center is a symbol of expressive idealism and Saarinen’s genius.
Photo By Eric Laignel
The Sunken Lounge, which bears an original cornerstone to architect Eero Saarinen, has a view of the 1958 Lockheed Constellation “Connie” airplane on the tarmac, which is striped and decked with actual runway lights. Hanging above The Sunken Lounge is a custom-designed split-flap board from Solari di Udine. MCR commissioned the board to have colored flaps – a first for Solari. The board now displays large-scale graphics that are updated frequently to celebrate holidays and special events. Guests may request custom boards to propose marriage, announce an engagement, wish a happy birthday – the sky’s the limit!
Yet it was virtually obsolete on opening day. Sized for 100-passenger prop aircraft, not jets, the structure’s inflexibility prevented modifications to adapt to the changing aviation industry. After alterations and deferred maintenance, the building was abandoned in 2002. Passion for the building and its architect drove MCR/MORSE to lead a restoration that celebrates its true era: 1962. Contemporary technology and design reinvigorate, not compromise, its character.
Photo By TWA Hotel
Many of the TWA Hotel’s guestrooms overlook either the historic TWA Flight Center or runways. The Howard Hughes Suite has the best view of jets taking off for faraway lands. Guestrooms feature midcentury modern design elements and TWA travel posters by noted David Klein.
Today, the Flight Center is the cornerstone of a 6.5-acre campus. Filled with 512 guestrooms, restaurants such as the Paris Café by Jean-Georges, a rooftop pool and observation deck, a 10,000-square-foot fitness center, a food hall, complimentary museum exhibits and era–appropriate activations (a Twister Room with a life-size version of the game, 1960s automobiles), the landmark is alive again.