LAX LIGHTING CEREMONY "UNVEILS" NEW GATEWAY TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

(Los Angeles, CA – August 8, 2000) Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan and officials of Los Angeles World Airports tonight will commemorate its "Gateway LAX Enhancement Project" by lighting a new landmark series of 100-foot-high pylons and 32-foot-high letters spelling out "LAX" at the Century Boulevard entrance to Los Angeles International Airport.

The distinctive, architectural structures are part of a $112-million construction and landscaping program designed to make the airport more welcoming and convenient for the 64 million passengers who use the airport annually. It also is aimed at making LAX more user-friendly with improved signage and lighting, a new public address system for the Lower/Arrivals Level, public art installations, and other practical and aesthetic improvements.

Speakers during a reception for the Gateway LAX Lighting Ceremony will include Mayor Riordan, Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners President John J. Agoglia, Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Lydia H. Kennard, Gateway to L.A. Executive Director Merry Norris, and architect and principal designer Ted Tokio Tanaka. Other airport commissioners and pylon lighting artist Paul Tzanetopoulos will join the speakers in front of the new LAX sign to "flip the switch."

The reception will be held at the Wyndham Hotel adjacent to LAX with the program beginning at 8:00 p.m., immediately followed by lighting of the pylons.

"This project is symbolic of all that the City has to offer, while also raising its visibility to travelers from around the world," said Mayor Riordan. "These improvements, and those yet to come, have made LAX a world-class landmark and given each one of us a portal to the world that we can all be proud of."

Airport Commission President Agoglia said, "We are excited about the positive impact that the enhancement projects will have on the region served by LAX. The pylons and large LAX sign will be a clear symbol of the airport and the City of Los Angeles being at the forefront of the international travel, trade, and tourism industries for years to come."

The pylons consist of structural steel support frames that are encased in a layer of translucent, tempered glass. They are part of an overall design developed by a team headed by Tanaka’s architectural firm based in Marina del Rey, California. Fifteen pylons forming a 560-foot "gateway" circle at the intersection of Century and Sepulveda Boulevards are an average 100 feet high and 12 feet in diameter. Eleven pylons along the Century Boulevard median between Aviation and Sepulveda Boulevards are six feet in diameter and ascend in height from 25 to 60 feet. The pylons will be lit from dusk to dawn in a variety of colors and sequences.

Tanaka said, "The primary theme of the Gateway LAX Project is aviation and the diverse culture of the City of Los Angeles. The pylons are oriented skyward, and the pylons along Century Boulevard are designed to mimic an aircraft takeoff pattern."

Artist Paul Tzanetopoulos, who created the kinetic light installation that illuminates the pylons, said, "It was a distinct pleasure to be part of this extraordinary team realizing this landmark for the City. I personally enjoyed both the collaboration and the specific freedom to create a challenging, contemporary work."

This major aesthetic upgrade of the western United States’ premier international travel, trade and tourism hub is the most extensive series of improvements at LAX since the 1984 Olympic Games. Airport officials view the projects as an investment in one of the Southland’s most important public assets and whose economic contributions to the regional economy are expected to increase in coming years. Currently, approximately 393,000 jobs in the region are attributable to LAX operations, and the airport generates $61 billion annually in economic activity – or nearly 8.2 percent of the entire region’s economic output. All work on the projects is being done in accordance with LAWA’s ongoing commitment to the environment and the quality of life of neighboring communities.

According to Merry Norris, art consultant and executive director of the Gateway to L.A. Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID), "This project will favorably impact our district by increasing business opportunities. This unique gateway will define the area for visitors and residents alike by providing the city with a long-needed point-of-entry landmark. It will enhance Los Angeles’ reputation as an exciting, world-class city." The Gateway to L.A. organization represents the local community throughout the various stages of the LAX Enhancement Projects.

In addition to the pylons and LAX sign, other major elements of the LAX Enhancement Projects include:

• A new uniform signage and graphics system to help pedestrians and drivers negotiate the airport in a safer and more efficient manner.
• A new paver system to replace existing walkways/sidewalks that will provide safer and more even walking surfaces that can be easily lifted and replaced if underground modifications are required.
• A modern and clearer sounding public address system on the Lower/Arrivals Level tied into the Fire/Life Safety System in order to broadcast emergency information in a timely manner.
• Improved lighting to enhance public safety, make signage easier to see, and draw attention to architectural improvements.
• Extensive landscaping improvements that include mature vegetation in the Central Terminal Area and new greenbelts extending to and along Century Boulevard to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, while providing shade and greenery from numerous vantage points.
• A new Upper/Departures Level canopy connecting all terminals and providing shelter during inclement weather.
• Extensive public art program of murals, mosaics, sculptures, statues, and creative lighting to reflect the city’s unique culture, diversity, vision and excitement.
• A brighter, redesigned Lower/Arrivals Level with new metal ceiling cladding, and lighting to enhance visitors’ first impressions of Los Angeles.

The projects are being funded with short-term bonds that will be repaid with airport revenues, primarily from parking and concession fees. The entire LAX Enhancement Projects program, which began last January, is scheduled for completion by December 2001.

Los Angeles World Airports is a self-supporting department of the City of Los Angeles, which owns and operates a system of four airports: Los Angeles International, Ontario International, Palmdale Regional, and Van Nuys. LAWA’s combined operations move 70.5 million passengers and 2.6 million tons of cargo; create 409,000 direct and indirect jobs; and generate $70 billion in economic impacts through an innovative transportation gateway that fuels the regional economy and links Los Angeles and Southern California to the world.

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