The new PS Terminal at Miami International Airport will occupy the former Pan American Airways Regional Headquarters.

Built in 1963 and known as the “Taj Mahal” of Miami, the Pan American (Pan Am) Regional Headquarters Building is a historically significant modern structure and directly related to the once extensive facilities built by Pan American Airways.  It survives as a physical manifestation of the significant role Pan American Airways played in the development of the Miami International Airport; and of Pan Am’s prominent role in early aviation history.

An excellent example of mid-century Miami Modern (MiMo) architecture, Pan Am’s Regional Headquarters was designed by Miami architects Steward-Skinner Associates. The building has striking similarities with the world-renowned US Embassy in New Delhi, India which was designed by prominent architect Edward Durell Stone.  It has a square floor plan with two stories that sit on a raised basement plinth, faced with a precast concrete brise-soleil. The screen is defined by a repeating geometric pattern of paired trapezoids, which are referenced throughout the building: in the panels of the porte-cochère, on the door handles, and in the shape of the precast concrete planters.

The building’s exuberant design reflects the global reach and progressive technology employed by Pan American Airways.  It was designated as a Miami Dade Historical Site in 2014 and RJHA is now leading its restoration and adaptive reuse team. The plan calls for meticulous restoration of the building’s architecture and design details, which include the original Pan Am logos and gold panels and accents in the lobby and courtyard walls.  Plans also call for the complete restoration of the reflecting pools located in the front of the property and in the interior courtyard.  PS plans to offer members plush private suites, executive lounges with a full-service bar and dining area, and work spaces.  Guests are treated to private security checkpoints for both TSA and Customs Administration, exclusive baggage services and private escort directly to their aircraft via chauffeur-driven 7 series BMW automobiles.

With the city of Miami’s increasingly global profile as well as the building’s unique place in Miami’s modern cityscape, RJHA will retain the building’s historic integrity while providing complete architectural and engineering services for the exterior and interior restoration, paving the way for a new chapter to be written for this historic landmark.

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