LANDMARK LAX THEME BUILDING COMPLETES $12.3-MILLION RENOVATION; OBSERVATION DECK TO RE-OPEN JULY 10
(Los Angeles, California – July 2, 2010) Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa was joined today by City Councilmembers Bill Rosendahl and Janice Hahn, airport commissioners and business leaders in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate completion of a $12.3-million renovation and seismic retrofit of the iconic Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The mayor also announced the building’s Observation Deck will re-open to the public on weekends only beginning Saturday, July 10, 2010.
“From the Observation Deck viewing planes from many countries, you can see that LAX is a gateway to the world and a strong economic engine for the region,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “LAX brings the world to Los Angeles, and I am proud to once again welcome travelers and families to come see the iconic ThemeBuildingand the extraordinary views from the Observation Deck while they are here.”
The nearly 50-year-old cultural and historic landmark, that looks like a space ship landed in the center of LAX’s passenger terminal area, began a three-year renovation in February 2007, after a 1,000-pound, 5-foot-by-10-foot panel of the stucco “skin” fell off the underside of the east upper arch. Following removal/demolition of all of the stucco, the renovation included a significant and unique seismic retrofit, complete reconstruction of the façade of the upper and lower arches, and accessibility upgrades for visitors with disabilities.
Although the space-age, retro-themed Encounter Restaurant housed inside the building remained open during construction, completing the renovation and opening the Observation
Deck fully restores an LAX experience that had been a major draw to travelers around the
world.
The Observation Deck will reopen with limited hours -- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, when the Observation Deck was closed due to security reasons, nearly 3,000 people monthly visited the deck. There is no time limit for how long visitors may stay on the deck.
New security measures will be in place when the Observation Deck re-opens, including inspection of personal belongings before visitors enter the nonstop elevator for a quick ride from the lobby to the Observation Deck.
Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, whose 11th District includes LAX, said,“I can’t imagine a more fitting way to embark on projects to modernize LAX than to cut the ribbon once again on the very building that started it all. The ThemeBuilding holds a special place in our City’s heart and history. It’s a great day in Los Angeles when we can pay special tribute to an icon that helped put us on the world map.”
Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners Vice-President Valeria Velasco said, “The LAX ThemeBuilding is the historic centerpiece of LAX – and an architectural icon of Los Angeles. We are proud to see it restored and re-opened for the enjoyment of passengers and airport visitors.”
“We’re thrilled to see the Theme Building restoration completed and the observation deck reopened, as the deck is another benefit for our weekend diners to enjoy,” said Kurt Clausen, general manager of LAX operations for Delaware North Companies, operator of Encounter.
Project Scope
The renovation was scheduled after airport engineers discovered extensive weathering had compromised the integrity of the stucco and determined that complete renovation of the arches was necessary.
A new engineering design for the arch system stucco and framing was created. New fans were installed to blow air up the arches and out a centrally located vent on the pinnacle of the arches to keep the structure moisture-free.
The most unique aspect of the seismic retrofit involved installing a rooftop tuned mass damper (TMD) containing 600 tons of steel (equivalent to the weight of two Boeing 747s) added to the top core. The TMD will absorb violent motion caused by an earthquake by counterbalancing with harmonic vibrations of its own. Installing the steel weight at the top of the building allowed the original, historic look of the building to be preserved. The first of its kind in the United States, this innovative installation of the TMD was considered the most difficult and intricate part of the restoration project.
Construction
The project team included CSA Constructors for demolition and abatement, Tower General Contractors for reconstruction, Gin Wong Associates for architectural design services, VCA for engineering, MARRS for construction scheduling, Miyamoto International for seismic engineering design with seismic testing performed by University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA’s) Network Earthquake Engineering Simulation program. All firms or institutions are located in Southern California.
A separate contract to refurbish the night-time lighting system is expected to be awarded soon and the lighting program restored by early Fall 2010.
Cost and Funding
The $12.3-million renovation (plus another $2 million for the earlier demolition/stucco removal) was fully funded from the LAX Airport Revenue Fund. No monies from the L.A.City general fund were used for this project.
About LAX
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the third busiest airport in the U.S.and seventh in the world, offering more than 565 daily flights to 81 destinations in the U.S. and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 65 international destinations on 75 air carriers. LAX is the busiest origin-and-destination airport in the U.S., whereby passengers who begin or end their trips at the airport (rather than connect to other flights) have a higher, positive impact on the local economy in terms of business, tourism and consumer spending. LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International (ONT) and Van Nuys (VNY) general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a department of the City of Los Angeles.
