{"nrhp_refnum":"05000994","name":"Trans World Airlines Flight Center","other_names":["TWA Terminal 5"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"John F. Kennedy International Airport","address_restricted":false,"city":"Jamaica","county":"Queens","state":"NY","lat":40.64563145400004,"lon":-73.7767914974986,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-09-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Airline terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Jamaica, Queens, New York, opened in May 1962 for Trans World Airlines. It was designed by Eero Saarinen and consists of a concrete shell main terminal with two satellite flight wings joined by elevated tubes.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a nationally significant masterpiece of expressionistic modern architecture, engineering and airline terminal planning. It broke from the rectilinear International Style and responded to the Port Authority's Terminal City master plan. Its satellite passenger loading wings were an influential innovation in airport design, and it is tied to the history of JFK, TWA and American air travel.","narrative":"Trans World Airlines Flight Center, also called TWA Terminal 5, sits at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens. Eero Saarinen designed it, and it opened in May 1962. The main terminal is a reinforced concrete structure made of four interlocking shells, with two large upward-slanting side shells resembling wings and two smaller downward-sloped shells at front and rear. Elevated tubes lead from the terminal to two satellite flight wings; the second was built in 1962 and the first in 1967 by Saarinen's successor firm. Inside, curving stairs, ceramic tile and sculptural fixtures continue the exterior forms. The nomination describes the building as a rebuttal to the rectilinear International Style and as an influential example of satellite boarding areas in airport planning. It is linked to the history of JFK, TWA and the early jet age, and its period of significance runs from 1962 to 1970. The property is listed as vacant, and some interiors and exterior finishes have been altered over time.","period_of_significance":"1962-1970","architect_builder":"Eero Saarinen and Associates, Architects; Amman and Whitney Structural Engineers; Grove, Shepherd, Wilson & Kruge, Inc. (contractors)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Other: Expressionistic Architecture","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function listed as vacant/not in use; Flight Wing 1 retains only its service cores, with furnishings removed, and the main building has had alterations such as mylar on the glass and white roof coating.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:52.643434-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/05000994.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000994/fc74a0242a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000994/fc74a0242a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"pheezy","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jfkairport.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">pheezy</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jfkairport.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75321161","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_Center","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q29257"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/queens/trans-world-airlines-flight-center-05000994/"}