For years, the TWA Flight Center at New York’s John F Kennedy airport has stood stoically as time passed it by. Designed by Eero Saarinen and opened to the public in 1962, the iconic, undulating building has been sadly unoccupied since 2001 and is currently set for imminent redevelopment.
This weekend, Storefront for Art and Architecture honours a crucial figure in the building’s legacy – the American architectural photographer Ezra Stoller, who founded Esto, the first photographic agency specialising in architecture and the built environment. Born in 1915 in Chicago and then pursuing architecture at New York University, Stoller is famed for documenting many of the world’s modern landmarks, including Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram Building, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and Saarinen’s Bell Labs Holmdel Complex. He died in 2004.
Hosted at the terminal, Storefront for Art and Architecture’s spring benefit, ‘Beyond Borders’, serves as the last public event held at the building before it begins its new life.
Erica Stoller, Ezra’s daughter and an artist herself, says, ‘There have been many bittersweet moments in considering the TWA building over the years. Now, with preservation in mind and major changes on the way, the early images have an enduring presence and an even stronger impact as we anticipate the future.’
The event is accompanied by a silent auction of over 50 works from artists, designers and architects, such as Enoc Perez, Keith Sonnier, Thom Mayne, David Adjaye, Álvaro Siza, M
isha Kahn and Lindsey Adelman. There is also a specially commissioned photograph of the TWA Flight Center by Richard Barnes, and the first ever colour edition of a photograph from the iconic series of the terminal by Ezra Stoller.
This weekend, Storefront for Art and Architecture honours a crucial figure in the building’s legacy – the American architectural photographer Ezra Stoller, who founded Esto – in the form of a benefit entitled ’Beyond Borders’
Hosted at the terminal, ’Beyond Borders’ serves as the last public event held at the building before it begins its new life
The event is accompanied by a silent auction of over 50 works from artists, designers and architects, such as Enoc Perez, Keith Sonnier, Thom Mayne, David Adjaye, Álvaro Siza, M
isha Kahn and Lindsey Adelman
There is also a specially commissioned photograph of the TWA Flight Center by Richard Barnes, and the first ever colour edition of a photograph from the iconic series of the terminal by Ezra Stoller
Erica Stoller, Ezra’s daughter, says, ‘... with preservation in mind and major changes on the way, the early images have an enduring presence and an even stronger impact as we anticipate the future’
INFORMATION
The ’Beyond Borders’ auction is live on Artspace. For more details and to bid, visit Artspace’s website. A limited number of general admission tickets for the benefit are also available. Tickets start at $450 for the main event and $75 for the after party. For more information, visit the event’s Eventbrite website.
All photography: TWA Flight Center, 1962. Copyright Ezra Stoller/Esto. Courtesy Yossi Milo Gallery
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