NEW SCULPTURAL LIGHTS, COLOR LIGHTBAND UNVEILED AT LAX CENTRAL TERMINAL AREA TO WELCOME SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES TO L.A.
New Light Poles, Mile-Long Lightband Designed To Unify Appearance of Terminals and Present “New Face of LAX”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Board of Airport Commissioners President Sean Burton were joined tonight by officials from the airport and the Special Olympics World Games to unveil a new energy-efficient lighting scheme and lightband throughout the Central Terminal Area (CTA) of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The new lighting scheme marks completion of Phase II of the $118-million LAX CTA Curbside Appeal and Roadway Improvement Project, which also includes wayfinding and roadway improvements to make the airport more visible, safer, and easier to navigate for pedestrians and motorists.
After a countdown and a “swipe,” Mayor Garcetti debuted a specially created light show featuring the 91 white sculptural light poles and mile-long lightband programmed with the multi-colors of the Special Olympics, all to welcome athletes to Los Angeles.
“I’m so proud to welcome to Los Angeles the more than 6,500 athletes participating in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “And what better way to celebrate their arrival than unveiling the latest upgrade to our world class airport? Like the more than 70 million passengers flying in and out of our LAX each year, these athletes are arriving at an airport that offers a fitting first impression for our City of Angels.”
Phase II of the LAX Central Terminal Area Curbside Appeal and Roadway Improvement Project began Spring 2014. In addition to the modern, custom-made LED (light-emitting diode) light poles and lightband, other project components include: wayfinding signage; a new canopy in front of Terminal 4; traffic and roadway improvements; and a retrofit of the Upper Level, World Way South, and Center Way roadways. The Curbside Appeal Project was designed to bring together the current separate-looking key architectural elements of the airport’s iconic 1960s Theme Building, the 2000 LAX Gateway light pylons, and the nine airline terminals. Aesthetically, the Curbside Appeal Project will dramatically revitalize the look of LAX with new vibrancy, color and energy – offering a world-class welcome to travelers and visitors alike.
"C ompleting t his phase of the LAX Curbside Appeal Project is another important milestone in our ongoing multi-billion-dollar effort to modernize and improve the passenger experience at LAX,” said Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners President Sean Burton. “We tried to create a remarkable experience that will benefit travelers and visitors to LAX."
P hase I of the project, completed in 2013 when the New Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) began operations, included a new façade, curbside seating, canopy, light poles, and lightband in front of the terminal. The canopy in front of TBIT is currently being extended to Terminal 4 and construction is scheduled to be completed in early 2016. The long-range plan is to have canopies at all terminal.
“The Curbside Appeal Project integrates state-of-the-art LED lighting and architecture to revamp the exterior curbside street lighting, while cutting energy use by half,” said Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Deborah Flint. “With more distinctive wayfinding signage and roadway improvements, pedestrians and motorists will find LAX more accessible.”
"The World Games experience for our athletes officially begins when they land at LAX, and what an incredible first impression they will have," said Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO of LA2015. "We are grateful to LAX for their incredible support over this past year with signage throughout the airport, and for welcoming our 6,500 athletes and making them feel like the stars they truly are."
The Central Terminal Area is now defined with a programmable polychromatic LED lightband, or ribbon, synchronized with the light pylons. The lightband continues the theme of the vertical gateway light pylons in a horizontal application, like a ribbon tying together the entire CTA. Over one mile of the continuous ribbon is attached to the edge of the Upper/Departures Level roadway. This lightband is made up of 690 eight-foot-long individual light boxes interconnected and controlled by a single theater control system. The system includes an optical fiber network that handles over 17,000 individual digital multiplex (DMX) addresses and over 5,500 linear feet (or more than 43,000 individual) color-changing LED lights with color control for each, allowing limitless capabilities to program light shows.
The 91 new sculptural light poles reach out expressively in a much tighter spacing than the 78 original street lights, creating a strong visual perspective that ties together the Central Terminal Area. Each new pole uses 413 watts, or half the power consumption of the previous 33-year-old, high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights -- resulting in brighter and more energy-efficient street lighting. Each of the new LED light poles include eight “up” lights to further enhance visibility. Three-dimensional, LED back-lit, super-graphic terminal identifiers also help motorists find their terminals. The dramatically improved lighting increases safety and functionality for pedestrians and motorists.
Construction Team
The LAX Central Terminal Area Curbside Appeal and Roadway Improvements Project is part of the ongoing $8.5-billion LAX Modernization Program under LAWA’s Airports Development Group led by Deputy Executive Director Roger Johnson. Larry Gonsalves served as project manager and his project construction team included: architect AECOM, Los Angeles; general contractor Myers-Banicki, A Joint Venture, Los Angeles; consultant Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design, Culver City; light-pole fabricator Penwal Industries, Rancho Cucamonga; mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineers PBS Engineers, Inc., Glendora; signage and environmental graphics design studio EGG Office, Los Angeles; and structural engineers KPFF Consulting Engineers, Los Angeles.
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the fifth busiest airport in the world and second in the United States. LAX served nearly 70.7 million passengers in 2014. LAX offers 692 daily nonstop flights to 85 cities in the U.S. and 928 weekly nonstop flights to 67 cities in 34 countries on 59 commercial air carriers. LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with over two million tons of air cargo valued at nearly $96.3 billion. An economic study in 2011 reported that operations at LAX generated 294,400 jobs in Los Angeles County with labor income of $13.6 billion and economic output of more than $39.7 billion. This activity added $2.5 billion to local and state revenues. LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a
proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
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