The new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, N.Y., provides lounge space for the airline’s first-class passengers. Designed by New York–based Slade Architecture, the lounge features a variety of seating and dining areas, all surrounded by perforated-aluminum walls. Stainless steel rods form a sculptural divider between the lounge’s bar and the rest of the venue, and the ceiling plane is punctuated by a series of metal cylinders of varying lengths, some of which double as light fixtures.
Jury Quotes
“I love the Clubhouse. The Clubhouse is like an exposé of all the fun things you can do with metal—it was inventive, it was creative, it was fun, it was cool, it was fresh. It used metal not just as a building element or something you can make planes out of but it had a sculptural quality. It plays with how it interacts with light. It invokes mood. I just thought it was a great project across the board.” —Andre Kikoski
“What struck me was a lot of these sculpted areas, the clean crisp look to the whole thing. I was impressed with the variety of types of metal that were used, the variety of surfaces—the ceiling, the walls, the tables—all the different colors, and all the different types of surfaces, from smooth to perforated. It was a dream come true for someone who wants to design with metal and show all the design flexibility that you can show with metal.” —Scott Kriner
Project Credits
Project Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK Airport, Queens, N.Y.
Client Virgin Atlantic Airways
Architect Slade Architecture, New York
General Contractor Holt Construction
Structural Engineer Gilsanz, Murray, Steficek
Lighting Lite Makers