MCR Development – TWA Hotel

MCR Development takes inspiration from the golden age of aviation as it converts the JFK Airport’s TWA Flight Center into a modern hotel.

By Tim O’Connor

When the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York opened in 1962 it was a modern and forward-thinking design. With its Jetsons-style Googie architecture and sunken lounge, the Eero Saarinen-designed building became an icon of mid-century aviation and was eventually granted landmark designation by the city and state. So there was a sense of loss when the terminal closed in 2001 following the end of Trans World Airlines.

A portion of the flight center was used to expand JetBlue’s terminal at the airport, but the signature gull-wing building remained unoccupied for years as local officials tried to find a new use that would honor the structure’s history. In 2015, MCR Development announced it would convert the TWA Flight Center into a lobby and retail space for a new hotel that would rise between the historic building and JetBlue terminal.

The TWA Hotel will embrace the flight center’s style to invoke the golden days of aviation, when flying was still an event and passengers had a sense of wonder about the whole experience. “When people talk about this building and reference this building you can see people’s eyes light up,” says Jason Garone, vice president of construction for MCR. “It’s an architectural marvel.”