Francis Keally was an architect with a focus on airport design who viewed the whole world through the prism of his passion. For sure, airports did in many cases become mini-cities with lodging, shopping and dining, but the underground airports and the rooftop landing strips awaiting the arrival of super-auto gyroplanes? That never did come to pass. From an article about some of Keally’s outré ideas in the December 29, 1929 Brooklyn Daily Eagle: 

“Aviation will completely change the character of American architecture within the next century, according to the prediction made by Francis Keally, distinguished architect and authority on airport design, in the current issue of the American Architect magazine.

‘One hundred years from today we shall have not batteries of skyscrapers to point out to our trans-atlantic visitors,’ says Mr. Keally.

Ancient Cities Imitated

‘On the contrary, our future cities, because of the aerial age, will be flat-topped, and two out of every three buildings will serve as some kind of landing area for a super-auto gyroplane or a transcontinental air express. What towers there are will be built at a great distance from the airports and will serve as mooring masts for giant dirigibles.

‘The architects of our future cities may have to go back to places like Constantinople and Fez for their inspiration, where they can find a low horizontal character to an entire city, broken here and there by a minaret.’

Airports to be Underground 

Mr. Keally believes that population will be spread out as a result of rapid aerial transportation, instead of being congested into limited areas, as in the case of the great cities of today. He points out that the new regional plan for New York City provides for 46 landing fields within the metropolitan area, which are far away from the present heart of the city. These fields will become sub-centers of population, he foresees, with their own shopping, entertainment and residential zones.

‘Entirely new cities will also be built as residential centers at a great distance from the present congested areas.

‘Airships carrying hundreds of passengers are certain to have a strong bearing on changes that will come in our architecture and domestic life,’ he continues. ‘People will want their roof tops beautifully designed. Today it is the front of the house that is given the most attention. But from the air you see only the roof.

‘There will be underground airports with hangars, waiting rooms, rail and motor terminals, and all approaches underground. With a scheme of this kind, a plane landing at such a port will have no landing obstacles of any kind. Planes entering or leaving the ports will pass through a trapdoor in the surface of the field. The doors will be connected by ramps to the underground facilities in a manner similar to that now in our modern railroad terminals.”