The highly anticipated TWA Hotel has debuted at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. The hotel integrates the airport’s former TWA Flight Center, originally designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962. The modernist masterpiece underwent a $65 million refresh to serve as the new lobby, while a $200 million addition was also incorporated into the historic site to house the 512 guestrooms and suites across two new volumes.
Beyer Blinder Belle served as both the project and preservation architect, helming a team that also included Lubrano Ciavarra Architects as the consulting architect. INC Architecture & Design oversaw the execution of several public spaces including 45 conference rooms and a sprawling fitness center. The former Flight Center also houses the revamped Sunken Lounge, which now serves as a cocktail bar alongside the reborn Paris Café.
Former check-in counters now serve as reception, while luminous, arched corridors that once led travelers to airplanes now guide visitors to accommodations and are lined with Saarinen’s iconic red carpeting. Corridors also lead visitors to the airport’s Terminal 5.
Guestroom interiors are crafted by Stonehill Taylor with a midcentury aesthetic and Saarinen furniture. Each accommodation features windows seven panes thick to entirely block out noise of runway traffic. An infinity pool and observation deck crown one of the new buildings, while its counterpart is topped with a power plant.
