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21 CHAPTER SIX JOHN F. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTâTWA FLIGHT CENTER ADAPTIVE REUSE BACKGROUND Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport is the busiest inter- national gateway in the United States and the 12th busiest in the world. In 2009, 45,915,069 passengers used the airport. More than 90 airlines operate out of JFK. It is JetBlueâs base of operations as well as an international hub for Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. JFK was also a hub airport for the following former airlines: Eastern Air Lines, National Airlines, Pan American World Airways, and TWA. Terminal Design The unique architectural design of terminals at JFK dates back to the 1960s and to one of the first larger airports to accommodate jet airplanes. In 1960, American Airlines opened its Terminal 8, which became famous for its 317- à 23-ft translucent wall assembled from 30,000 red, sapphire, and white glass tiles. It was (until 1979) the largest stained glass installation in the world. That same year, Pan Ameri- can World Airways opened the Worldport (Terminal 3), a large elliptical roof suspended by 32 sets of radial posts and cables. The roof extended beyond the footprint of the build- ing to cover the passenger loading area. It was also one of the first terminals in the world to use jet bridges to board aircraft. TWA opened the TWA Flight Center in 1962 (Terminal 5). Designed by Eero Saarinen, the distinctive winged-bird shape created an architectural metaphor for flight and used a shell of reinforced concrete and large panels of glass to allow passen- gers to view aircraft arriving and departing from many places within the terminal (Figure 16). In 1970, National Airlines opened the Sundrome (now Terminal 6), designed by I.M. Pei. It was unique for its use of all-glass mullions. Using glass as a primary building material was a first in U.S. airport con- struction. The open architecture of Terminal 6 proved impor- tant immediately as the terminal required modifications to accommodate the newly introduced 747 jumbo jets. Of these four terminals, only the TWA Flight Center will remain as part of the JFK airport complex. The glass wall of Terminal 8 was taken down in 2007 and the terminal AIRPORT SPONSOR AND INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS Airport Name John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) City, State Jamaica, New York Airport Sponsor Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Person Interviewed Don Rivas, Manager, Lease Opera- tions, Properties & Commercial Development THE SITUATION This case study describes the challenges airports face when buildings, especially iconic architectural structures, become obsolete. In 1955, PANYNJ adopted a master plan that called for multiple airline terminals at the airport, each with its own design. The terminals constructed in the 1960s and 1970s had some of the most exciting architectural elements in the world, celebrating both the age of jets and the eloquence of structural engineering. Most of these terminals remained buildings of great architectural integrity, but they did not adequately address the requirements of a rapidly changing industry brought about byâ ⢠Huge increases in the number of passengers flying, ⢠Use of larger aircraft to serve the increased demand, ⢠Airline bankruptcies and mergers that resulted in abandoned leases and sometimes less than optimal use of stand-alone terminals, and ⢠Post-9/11 (September 11, 2001) security requirements that constrain access to the airfield and gates. PANYNJ, wrestling with limited land, made difficult decisions about which terminals to keep and which to tear down. The Eero Saarinen-designed terminal, originally known as the TWA Flight Center, became a historic land- mark in 1994 and was kept and refurbished. However, as of 2010, it remains closed, pending a decision about its reuse.
22 demolished. Both the Worldport and the I.M. Pei Terminal 6 are scheduled for demolition. Figure 17 pays tribute to these three structures. FIGURE 16 TWA Flight Center, JFK International Airport. TWA Flight Center The TWA Flight Center was designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962. Seven years later, a new departure and arrival concourse and a lounge were added. The interior and exteriors of the terminal became an official landmark in 1994, voted on by the city of New York Landmarks Preserva- tion Commission. In 2005, the National Park Service listed the TWA Flight Center on the National Register of Historic Places. These designations solidified the legacy of the build- ing as a permanent structure at JFK. Despite designation from the Landmark Preservation Commission, the flight center suffered as TWAâs fortunes dwindled. TWA declared bankruptcy three times, first in 1992, then 1995, and fatally in 2001. American Airlines acquired the assets of TWA and took over the Saarinen building in 2001. However, American Airlines closed the operation in early 2002 because of 9/11. In the years leading up to 2001, the building was poorly maintained. No other airlines stepped forward to occupy the building. In October 2003, JetBlue entered into an agreement with PANYNJ to expand at JFK. Initially, JetBlue considered the full integration of the TWA Flight Center into its terminal design; however, the cost to retrofit the building exceeded the cost of a new building. JetBlue commissioned Gensler to design a building adjacent to the flight center that connected the two structures and left open the possibility of its integra- FIGURE 17 Pan American Worldport (lower left), American Airlines Terminal (center), and I.M. Pei Terminal 6 (right).
23 tion at a future time. The design of the new Terminal 5 was low profile and wraps around the back of the flight center. The two buildings are connected through Saarinenâs original departure and arrival passenger tubes (Figure 18). PANYNJ invested $30 million for restoration of the TWA Flight Center. The structure was restored to its origi- nal design. Asbestos was removed and the floor tile was replaced. The restoration was completed in 2010. PANYNJ intends to solicit proposals for reuse. LESSONS LEARNED Unlike urban areas where adaptive reuse can lead to a variety of single- or mixed-use solutions, the reuse of the TWA Flight Center was initially challenged by three important factors: ⢠The high cost of restoration, ⢠A tight construction schedule for the JetBlue terminal, and ⢠Somewhat limited options for aeronautical use. PANYNJ is one of the first airports in the country to invest in the preservation of a historic landmark terminal. It has completed the initial restoration of the building and mitigation of environmental hazards. To fully integrate the flight center into the JetBlue Terminal would require additional redesign of passenger processing. Today, the flight center sits in close proximity but off the critical path of passenger arrivals either by car or by the JFK AirTrain. The flight center is also away from passenger check-in areas and located before security. Redesign of the space for alternative uses offers addi- tional possibilities for nonaeronautical revenues. PANYNJ already has received many ideas for reuse including a museum, conference center, restaurant, first class lounge, or hotel. It will pursue these and other options through a solici- tation of proposals. FIGURE 18 JFK Terminal 5 plans, model, construction, and interior.
