Published: June 4, 2021
It will have been 50 years ago this month that Tampa's Jet-Age terminal was inaugurated. The complex has aged very well and today Tampa is still considered one of America's favorite airports. In this photo special, we look back at the terminal in its early years!
Let's get to it!
Let's get to it!
Introduction
input from audience and experts
HONORABLE MENTION #1: JOHANNESBURG O.R. TAMBO AIRPORT (196X)
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HONORABLE MENTION #2: HONG KONG KAI TAK AIRPORT TERMINAL (196X)
HONORABLE MENTION #3: XXXX
#1: THE TWA FLIGHT CENTER AT NEW YORK'S JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT (1962)
The number one on the list will not surprise anyone: Eero Saarinen's TWA Flight Center opened in 1962.
The head house of the TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen and his associates, is a pioneering example of thin-shell construction, consisting of a reinforced concrete shell roof supported at the corners.[2] The design incorporates elements of the Futurist, Neo-futurist, Googie and Fantastic architectural styles.[3] It is located at the middle of a curve in one of JFK Airport's service roads, in front of the elevated AirTrain JFK people mover.[4] The key collaborators from the Saarinen office included Kevin Roche, Cesar Pelli, Norman Pettula, and Edward Saad. Warren Platner was largely responsible for the interiors.[5] To engineer the roof, Saarinen collaborated with Charles S. Whitney and Boyd G. Anderson of the firm Ammann & Whitney.[2][6][a] The general contractor was Grove Shepherd Wilson & Kruge.[7]
The Terminal 5 (also known as T5) addition, which is connected to the TWA Flight Center, is a 625,000-square-foot (58,100 m2) facility designed by Gensler. It contains 26 gates that can accommodate 250 flights per day,[8] and 20 million passengers annually.[9]
The form, or layout, of the TWA Flight Center's head house is designed to relate to its small wedge-shaped site, with walkways and gates placed at acute angles.[10] Saarinen described the head house form as being like the "Leonardo da Vinci flying machine", according to his associate Kevin Roche
Friend and foe agree that Eero Saarinen's iconic TWA Flight Center takes
As an airport planner, I am not a big fan of the TWA Flight Center. It's size and shape made it very hard to expand and adjust to ever changing requirements (i.e. increased security).
Having said that, it's a beautiful structure
The head house of the TWA Flight Center, designed by Eero Saarinen and his associates, is a pioneering example of thin-shell construction, consisting of a reinforced concrete shell roof supported at the corners.[2] The design incorporates elements of the Futurist, Neo-futurist, Googie and Fantastic architectural styles.[3] It is located at the middle of a curve in one of JFK Airport's service roads, in front of the elevated AirTrain JFK people mover.[4] The key collaborators from the Saarinen office included Kevin Roche, Cesar Pelli, Norman Pettula, and Edward Saad. Warren Platner was largely responsible for the interiors.[5] To engineer the roof, Saarinen collaborated with Charles S. Whitney and Boyd G. Anderson of the firm Ammann & Whitney.[2][6][a] The general contractor was Grove Shepherd Wilson & Kruge.[7]
The Terminal 5 (also known as T5) addition, which is connected to the TWA Flight Center, is a 625,000-square-foot (58,100 m2) facility designed by Gensler. It contains 26 gates that can accommodate 250 flights per day,[8] and 20 million passengers annually.[9]
The form, or layout, of the TWA Flight Center's head house is designed to relate to its small wedge-shaped site, with walkways and gates placed at acute angles.[10] Saarinen described the head house form as being like the "Leonardo da Vinci flying machine", according to his associate Kevin Roche
Friend and foe agree that Eero Saarinen's iconic TWA Flight Center takes
As an airport planner, I am not a big fan of the TWA Flight Center. It's size and shape made it very hard to expand and adjust to ever changing requirements (i.e. increased security).
Having said that, it's a beautiful structure
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We hope you enjoyed our tribute to early Tampa! Want do some more reading on the design of Tampa's terminal? Follow this link for free downloads!
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