New York's iconic TWA terminal

Inside New York's iconic TWA terminal

A woman poses inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. Thousands of visitors packed New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday to get a last look at the iconic architecture of the Trans World Airlines Flight Center before the futuristic 1960's building is converted into a hotel. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

People are seen inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. The terminal, built in 1962 as a symbol of the Jet Age, was designed with cavernous arched white ceilings in a mid-century modern style by reknowned architect Eero Saarinen. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

People stand inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. "We know that there are people flying into New York City to see that building," said Gregory Wessner, executive director of Open House New York. "This year, I think there is a special attraction to it." REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The waiting area of the former Ambassadors Club is seen inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. The "Mad Men"-era terminal, vacant for nearly 14 years, will become part of a hotel with guest rooms, conference space and an observation deck. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

People stand inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The former check-in area of the Trans World Airlines Flight Center is seen at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A man examines a lighting fixture inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The inside of the Trans World Airlines Flight Center is seen at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The Trans World Airlines Flight Center is seen at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in September the approval of the $265 million hotel project, funded mostly by a partnership between MCR Development and JetBlue Airways. The 500-room hotel is expected to open in 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Roberta Dunn, a former TWA receptionist from 1970-2001, is seen in silhouette inside the Ambassadors Club at the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. "It is one of the most incredible pieces of architecture that you could walk into," said Jim Steven, manager of redevelopment for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The inside of the Trans World Airlines Flight Center is seen at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. The terminal, now a national historic landmark, was used by TWA until the airline went bankrupt in 2001. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A lounge area is seen inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

The area outside the former Ambassadors Club is seen at the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. Up to 5,000 people were expected to visit the terminal on Sunday, part of the annual Open House New York event aimed at inviting people into buildings that are typically inaccessible to the public. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A stone barrier is seen inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A lighting fixture is seen behind a chair outside the former Ambassadors Club inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. Each year, former TWA employees wearing their old uniforms are among those who return to the beloved building. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

People take photos inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A broken payphone is seen inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A person is seen in silhouette behind a frosted security window inside the Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy Airport in the Queens borough of New York, October 18, 2015. Tyler Morse, CEO for MCR Development, said he planned to keep the terminal the focus of the hotel, preserving its striking architectural features while adapting the space into a public lobby flanked by two six-story towers with guest rooms. "We want to bring it back to life as it was in 1962," Morse said. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton