ARCHITECT
Eero Saarinen

YEAR BUILT
1962

LOCATION
1212 Airport Way, Dulles Virginia

BUILDING TYPE
Commercial

STATUS
Still there

Known for his innovative, sculptural forms used throughout both architecture and furniture designs, Finnish architect Eero Saarinen includes these same curving and organic forms in the TWA Terminal as well as in the Dulles International Airport on the outskirts of Washington D.C. Saarinen was hired as the architect of the main terminal, working with the civil engineering firm Ammann and Whitney, who was the lead contractor. Saarinen was chosen for his ability to provide graceful beauty, expressing the spirit of flight and the excitement of the “jet age.”

When faced with the challenge of designing the terminal’s entrance, he had to create an articulated entrance to stand out against the modern and repetitive structure. He also had the typical challenge of providing graceful access to the building, encountered by automobile, entered and further accessed by foot. Architect Kevin Roche worked in the office of Saarinen during the time of this project, and with his contribution came the overall elliptical form of the building. The Dulles terminal has two floors; the first for departing passengers, ticketing and concessions, and the other for arriving passengers, baggage claim, and ground transportation. One of the key moments of innovation in this terminal was the employment of new transport vehicles known as mobile lounges, which resembled a sort of giant luxury bus and carried up to ninety people from the terminal to their plane.