LAX Theme Building
| Theme Building | |
|---|---|
The illuminated exterior of the Theme Building at night
|
|
| Location | 201 World Way, Westchester, Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 33°56′38.76″N 118°24′8.64″W / 33.9441000°N 118.4024000°WCoordinates: 33°56′38.76″N 118°24′8.64″W / 33.9441000°N 118.4024000°W |
| Built | 1960–1961 |
| Architect | Pereira & Luckman Architects, Paul Williams and Welton Becket |
| Architectural style(s) | Mid-Century modern, Googie |
| Governing body | Los Angeles World Airports |
| Designated | December 18, 1993 |
| Reference no. | 570 |
 Location of Theme Building in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
|
|
The Theme Building is an iconic Space Age structure at the Los Angeles International Airport. Influenced by "Populuxe" architecture, it is an example of the Mid-century modern design movement later to become known as "Googie".
The distinctive white building resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. The initial design was created by James Langenheim, of Pereira & Luckman, subsequently taken to fruition by a team of architects and engineers headed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman, that also included Paul Williams and Welton Becket.
The appearance of the building's signature crossed arches as homogeneous structures is a design illusion, created by topping four steel-reinforced concrete legs extending approximately 15 feet above the ground with hollow stucco-covered steel trusses. To counteract earthquake movements, the Theme Building was retrofitted in 2010 with a tuned mass damper without changing its outward appearance.
The original design for the airport created by Pereira & Luckman in 1959 had all the terminal buildings and parking structures connected to a huge glass dome, which would serve as a central hub for traffic circulation. The plan was eventually scaled down considerably, and the terminals were constructed elsewhere on the property. The Theme Building was subsequently built to mark the spot intended for the dome structure, as a reminder of the original plan. Initially, the restaurant on top rotated slowly, giving the visitors a 360-degree dining experience. However, it was later made stationary.
The structure was dedicated on June 25, 1961, by the then US Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building, which lies within the Westchester neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, a historic-cultural monument (no. 570) in 1993. A $4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997. Visitors are able to take an elevator up to the Observation Level to get a 360-degree view of arriving and departing planes. After the September 11 attacks, the Observation Level was closed for security reasons. Following a $12.3 million restoration of the building completed in 2010, the observation level re-opened to the public on Saturdays and Sundays starting July 10. Additionally, on September 9, 2003, a permanent memorial honoring those who perished in the attacks of September 11 was opened on the grounds of the Theme Building.
...
Wikipedia