Culture and Art Take Center Stage as Part the JFK Vision Plan

In January 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was unveiled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) serves as the international gateway to New York State and to the nation, serving over 62 million passengers, supporting 149,000 jobs, as well as generating more than $33 billion is sales and $14 billion in wages according to details on the project’s dedicated website. The $19 billion multi-phase project will transform JFK into a world-class global gateway. The public-private redevelopment program includes the construction of two “giant new terminals across five previous terminal sites, expansion and modernization of existing terminals, streamlined roadways, popular retail and dining, and stunning New York artwork.” Culture and art will play a big part in the overall traveler experience within the terminals. As part of the redevelopment of Terminal 6, which will occupy the site of the former Terminal 6 and Terminal 7 upon its completion in 2026, the PANYNJ partnered with New York City’s world-renowned art and cultural institutions —  the American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center for the performing arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA), and the Museum of Modern Art to create a permanent display within the 1.2 million-square-foot terminal. PANYNJ’s commitment to public art will be further displayed within JFK’s new Terminal One currently under construction. The broader public art program developed by lead curator Culture Corps. will transcend the typical approach to airport art and create an experience that “could only happen in New York” while celebrating the history, culture, and diversity of New York City and Queens and capturing the “city’s unmistakable energy and spirit.”

A mix of creative artists, multi-disciplinary media firms, and design firms have been selected including a roster of seven internationally recognized artists that will add a mix of sculpture, mosaics and murals. Independent design consultancy firm, Pentagram, will focus on the terminal’s branding that will include “everything from monumental welcome signage to striking floor inlays in the baggage claim area,” in addition to “the world’s largest split-flap display in the departure hall and ‘The City in Bloom,’ one of the largest lenticular graphic installations ever mounted.” Gentilhomme is creating a series of short films titled “Love Letters to New York” that will offer visitors a final farewell to the city.  The Canada-based multimedia entertainment is designing the films in partnership with London-based construction engineering firm Arup, which is leading the broader cultural program for Terminal One. Gentilhomme’s films offer an immersive digital experience and to bring authentic, place-based stories within them were “developed in collaboration with local minority- and women-owned business enterprises and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.” For those travelers returning to New York from international flights, a calming soundscape of NYC sounds will greet them, accompanied by flowing visuals of the city’s natural landscapes, from upstate to Jamaica Bay; and as visitors exit the terminal a display featuring a “90-degree wrap, creating an ‘anamorphic’ optical illusion that gives subjects a 3D appearance” will offer a final tribute to the city’s iconic atmosphere. Terminal One, which will span 2.6 million square feet as the largest terminal within JFK, broke ground in September 2022. The $9.5 billion terminal is being built on the sites now occupied by JFK’s Terminal 1 and the former Terminals 2 and 3. Construction is expected to be fully completed in 2030 and will open in phases beginning in 2026.

Source:    https://www.6sqft.com/major-public-art-program-unveiled-for-jfk-airports-9-5b-terminal-one