TWA hotel opens inside eero saarinen's terminal building at JFK airport

when the eero saarinen-designed TWA terminal opened in 1962, it epitomized the glamour and optimism of the jet age. the airport structure was designated a new york city landmark in 1994 and, after its 2001 closure, was listed on the national and new york state registers of historic places in 2005. now, 18 years after it closed its doors, and less than three years since construction began, the restored building has reopened as a landmark hotel.

two brand new wings behind eero saarinen’s historic terminal house the hotel’s 512 guestrooms
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell (also main image)

‘eero saarinen’s cathedral to aviation has always looked toward the future,’ says tyler morse, CEO and managing partner of MCR and MORSE development — who initiated the ambitious project. ‘we restored and re-imagined his landmark with the same care that he devoted to his design. no detail went overlooked — from the millwork by amish artisans to the custom font inspired by saarinen’s own sketches to the one-of-a-kind manhole covers. starting today, the world can enjoy this midcentury marvel for many years to come.’

the TWA hotel’s ‘connie’ airplane has been transformed into a cocktail lounge
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

inside the original structure, the red-carpeted lounge features a cocktail bar and is joined by the paris café — a 200-seat restaurant serving meals throughout the day. meanwhile, a lockheed constellation aircraft — known as ‘connie’ — has been transformed into an additional cocktail lounge. other hotel facilities and amenities include: 50,000 square feet of events space, comprising a 15,000 square foot ballroom; a rooftop infinity pool and observation deck with runway views; and the world’s biggest hotel gym.

the sunken lounge boasts a split flap departures board by solari di udine
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

the restoration of saarinen’s iconic building, which contains the famous bright red lounge, was led by beyer blinder belle, while the two new hotel wings were designed by lubrano ciavarra architects with interior design by stonehill taylor. meanwhile, a 50,000-square-foot events center has been completed by INC architecture & design. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

the lounge also includes its original chili pepper red carpet and authentic penny tile
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

eero saarinen’s soaring terminal serves as the heart of the new hotel
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

visitors to the sunken lounge and the paris café can watch planes take off as they sip cocktails
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

the paris café by jean-georges serves meals throughout the day
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

looking down on the terminal from the london club area
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

rare vintage TWA uniforms are part of museum exhibitions curated by the new-york historical society
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

the 1962 room offers 4,200 square feet of space
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

the hotel’s rooftop infinity pool and observation deck overlooks JFK’s runways
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

a view of iconic flight tube no. 2
image © christopher payne/esto

the TWA hotel at night
image courtesy of TWA hotel/david mitchell

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