TWA is a forgotten time capsule inside JFK airport

John F. Kennedy International Airport is probably one of the most prominent airports for international travel. Whether your destination is NYC or you are saddled down for a (hopefully short) layover before making your way to Europe, you have been privy to the vastness of this micro-city known as JFK. I bet that you did not know that it is also home to an abandoned retro-chic flight center and NYC landmark that is tucked away in the forgotten Terminal 5.

The flight center was originally opened in 1962, and served as mid-century modernist plaza for those arriving and departing the Big Apple. Its (then) contemporary design, courtesy of Eero Saarinen, takes you to another world where flight travel was luxurious and sleek. Financial decline eventually lead to the terminal and center closing down its services in 2001. Recently with the help of MCR Development and its privately-funded $265 million plan to refurbish the center to its original 60’s mod luster — with intentions of eventually making it into a “world class” hotel, promising to preserve its natural beauty. Pictures taken by Tod Seelie depict a grounded version of 2001 Space Odyssey.

The center will open back up to the public in 2018, when people get all types of nostalgic feels before it becomes just another Howard Johnson.