NEW TOM BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL AT LAX RECOGNIZED AS 2013 PRESIDENTIAL HONOREE BUILDING TEAM OF YEAR

(Los Angeles, California – November 1, 2013)  The New Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Los Angeles as its 2013 Presidential Honoree Building Team of the Year.  The New TBIT started operations in the South Concourse and the Villaraigosa Pavilion in mid-September, which signified the completion of Phase 1 of the overall New TBIT Project. 

Selected by the AIA Los Angeles Board of Directors, the award acknowledges the efforts of different entities successfully working together to create a significant contribution to the built environment of Los Angeles.  Considered one of the most prestigious awards a designer can receive in the Los Angeles design community, the collaboration must demonstrate success in both design and social impact, and must be an inspiration for future collaborations that will enrich the architectural heritage of the city.

            Designed by Fentress Architects, the modernized terminal is the crown jewel of the $4.1-billion LAX Capital Improvements Program-Phase 1, the largest public works project in the history of the City of Los Angeles.  The New TBIT Project is creating almost 4,000 construction-related jobs during the project’s five-year schedule, and almost 2,000 permanent new concession jobs.  An estimated 90 percent of the construction workforce comes from Southern California, and 40 percent of the workers are residents of the City of Los Angeles and other communities near LAX.

            “The New Tom Bradley International Terminal is a new gateway for L.A.,” said architect Curtis Fentress.  "The architecture was inspired by the people and geography of Los Angeles, but the functionality was inspired by Los Angeles’ economic needs.”

            “The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is the first and last impression of Los Angeles for millions of travelers every year," said Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.  "The new terminal enhances passenger safety and security, while giving travelers the first-class passenger experience they expect from a world-class city like Los Angeles.  Passenger-friendly terminals and conveniences are among the 'must haves' required as airports around the world compete  for the economic vitality that world-class airports create.  Our goal is to modernize LAX to ensure it retains its vital role as the cornerstone of Southern California’s air transportation system.”

It took more than 500,000 architectural man-hours to complete the project.  Moreover, more than 550 contractors and airport personnel consisting of more than 9,900 workers logged almost 6.5 million man-hours on the construction of the first phase of the new terminal.

Design of the New TBIT is inspired by the Pacific Ocean on LAX’s west side, with a flowing roofline that recalls the rhythm of waves breaking on the beach.  An open and spacious 110-foot-tall Great Hall suffused with natural daylight acknowledges Southern California’s temperate climate, while its aluminum roof arches over the column-free structure.  The design creates a single, cohesive, architectural theme that unifies the entire terminal, both inside and out.

The new terminal has 18 new boarding gates, of which nine can accommodate larger, new-generation (Group 6) aircraft such as the Airbus A380 super jumbo jet and Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental.  Arriving international passengers now process through an expanded and upgraded U.S. Customs & Border Protection federal inspection area.  A 150,000-square-foot Great Hall/Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion provides specialty-retail and duty-free shopping, as well as dining options ranging from grab-and-go, casual/fast food, to full-service restaurants.  A significant feature of the New TBIT is one of the most advanced multimedia Integrated Environmental Media Systems at a North American airport.  Designed to create an unprecedented passenger experience and a non-aeronautical revenue source for LAX, the IEMS includes seven very large media features built within the new terminal's interior architecture.          

In the next few months, the New TBIT Project will begin Phase 2, which includes:  demolition of the existing terminal's east side gates; new boarding bridges and aircraft aprons on the east side of the new terminal; additional upgrades to the existing federal customs and immigration inspection areas; relocation of and upgrade to the federal passenger security screening area; public art installations; and secured corridors between TBIT and Terminal 4 so connecting passengers can conveniently go from

one terminal to the next. 

The project is funded from LAX’s operating revenues, capital improvement program funds, fees from airlines, passenger facility charges, and airport revenue bond proceeds.  No monies from the City’s general fund are being used.