When Architecture Took Flight in the Golden Age of Aviation
When Architecture Took Flight in the Golden Age of Aviation
When the first commercial planes took flight, so did architecture. Like many other moments of technological advancement, the fascination with soaring through the skies heavily influenced the design movements of the last fifty years- not only in terms of how we design airports and think about the airline passenger experience, but the aesthetics of aviation and how the fabrics, textures, and high-end details would influence our lives on the ground.
On January 21, 1970, Pan Am flew passengers from New York City to London aboard the very first commercial 747 flight. As incredible as this feat was, the plane itself was a masterclass in design. Spiral staircases connected two stories of seating, and large screens displayed movies for the more than 500 passengers who were sprawled across the cabins. The flight was more than just a transatlantic voyage, it introduced the possibilities of what the future might look like- and architects took note. Later that same decade, American Airlines began removing seats from their luxury jets to build lounges, complete with a piano and a bar that served complimentary cocktails to passengers, bringing an on-ground experience to the sky. Continental airlines built out a fleet of planes that were more of a flying pub than anything, filled with arcade games, and tossed out the standard two-drink maximum limit in favor of giving passengers the ability to imbibe as much as they wanted.
Pan Am also evolved in the years following, serving passengers multi-course meals that were prepared in one of four galley kitchens and enhancing amenities such as bathrooms that resemble powder rooms you would find in people’s homes. They also emphasized the ability to view the ground from the skies, aligning each seat with the window, which increased the distance between rows and gave more legroom to airline travelers. Later, Qantas developed a nautical-themed Captain Hook Lounge, and Japan Airlines paid homage to their culture by building a tea house into their fleet of planes.
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Flying in this era, often dubbed the Golden Age, was nothing short of a luxurious adventure. The 747 completely changed air travel, both in terms of how far and fast people could travel and the style in which they flew. Passengers often dressed up in their finest suits and dresses to be wined and dined from thousands of feet in the air. Unfortunately, this era of aviation was short-lived. In 1978, the US government passed the Airline Deregulation Act, and the prices of tickets dropped. Airlines now needed to squeeze every inch of space on their planes to make a profit, and the bars and lounges soon disappeared from a majority of aircraft. But the dreams of those designs still lived on, just back on the ground, and in the way that future aircraft would be designed.
Eero Saarinen was perhaps the most influential designer of this era, who took inspiration from the Boeing 747s and brought imagination to the airports he created. The TWA Terminal was a monument to Trans World Airlines and a structural feat that resembled a bird in flight. It was recently renovated and reopened to the public, along with a hotel, and features relics from its glory days, and even an airplane on the runway where you can enjoy cocktails from old passenger seats. Saarinen also designed Dulles International Airport, just outside of Washington D.C. The terminal itself features a repeated, modern articulation that seamlessly integrates vehicular access with pedestrian entrances which lead passengers to a two-story building that transports them to their respective gates.
In the present day, the 747 became iconic for its wide-body look, meaning that it had two aisles, fitting more passengers and providing more space than ever before. It also introduced overhead storage for suitcases, where earlier planes only had carts and racks. The Boeing 747 was also the first aircraft to experiment with indirect lighting and personal in-flight entertainment systems. Over time, other planes began to become more advanced, and in the era where sustainability is key, the 747 began to fall behind on fuel efficiency metrics, and commercial airlines began to slowly retire their fleets and the final 747s will be produced at the end of 2022.
This is perhaps why Sir Norman Foster famously told the BBC show Building Sights in 1991 that his favorite building isn’t actually a building, it’s a Boeing 747 airplane. He claims that it’s not so much an airplane or a feat of engineering, but a building and an architectural marvel itself. Even as the 747 aircraft inches towards its final flight, commercial aviation fanatics, and architects alike can forever bond over its scale, sculpture, and design influence for centuries to come.
