From 1925 until 2001, Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major airline in the United States. Sadly, after years of decline, the events of 9/11 further pushed the airline into bankruptcy and acquisition by American Airlines. It’s 1950s headquarters building in Kansas City, Missouri still stands as a memento of the great age of airline travel.
The downtown Kansas City building was built in 1956 as the TWA Headquarters. The colors of the building are marked in the TWA colors and on top of the building is the “Moonliner II” rocket. “The rocket was modeled after the original 76-foot-tall Moonliner at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland attraction.” TWA was the original sponsor for the Disneyland attraction that became “Mission to Mars” in 1975. The rocket on top of the building is a one-third replica of the rocket at Disneyland.
As I walked past the building, I felt as if I was walking back in time. I walked by on a Sunday Morning following a downtown race when I spotted the building. Being that it was Sunday, there was very little traffic to distract me and a quiet hush that surrounded the area as I was able to imagine the people entering and leave this headquarters during its early years. They very post World War II architecture reminds me of the television shows about businessmen and women working during this growth in corporate America. It felt like I was walking in a movie scene.
While I wasn’t able to enter this great building, the lasting impression it made on me was remarkable. It is amazing how much history was made through such a building and the era of greatness that it represents.