For a one-of-a kind bar experience, the fuselage of a mid-century Lockheed Constellation L-1649A Starliner aircraft built in 1958 has been transformed by Beyer Blinder Belle and Stonehill Taylor into a nostalgic cocktail lounge for the TWA Hotel—itself a restoration of architect Eero Saarinen’s famed TWA Flight Center completed in 1962 at New York’s JFK (then Idlewild) Airport. Amongst its glamorous interiors, the bar features moments that pay homage to the industrial and technological achievements that defined the era.
Interior Design firm Stonehill Taylor was challenged with the task of designing the lounge in these unlikely parameters. To achieve the perfect final touch to an already world-class destination, the firm married a contemporary guest experience with design details that transport guests to re-live the glamour and ethos of 1960’s air travel.
Working under a tight space with low ceilings challenged the team to find a way to visually open up the space: To achieve this illusion, running almost the full circumference of the cabin at its belly, is a one-foot-wide backlit “reveal” that uncovers the raw bones of the aircraft.
