Iconic Symbol of LAX

 

Theme building surrounded by construction at LAX

Iconic Symbol of LAX

travel memoir

by Gregory E. Larson

          How many times have you been watching a movie with scenes at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) which show the spider-like structure with an observation deck, which is now called the Theme Building? It looks like a spaceship that has landed from The Jetsons. The very modern-like building was designed in 1957 by James Langenheim of the design consortium of Pereira and Luckman, and dedicated in 1961 by Vice-Persident Lyndon Johnson.

          The most recent movie scene that included it was Ford vs Ferrari, showing Carroll Shelby using an airplane hangar in the 1960s to develop the GT40 race car and then test driving the prototypes on an unused runway. In the background, the structure is lit up at night, shimmering in the dry, summer air as the cars are test-driven around some cones. I’m guessing the movie editors were able to use some digital trickery to show it in the distance, because today it is almost hidden behind the growing and changing airport.

Reconstruction of Terminal 2 at LAX

Today, several items at LAX are under construction:

·       Reconstruction of Terminal 2

·       Pedestrian walkways across the entrance streets

·       Overhead bridges for mass transit

Over the years, when flying into Los Angeles on business, I always glanced at the Theme building as the taxis or shuttle buses sped down the exit streets. During a recent layover day before an international flight, I decided to walk to the iconic building from the hotel on the edge of the airport. It wasn’t easy getting there. I had to navigate huge crosswalks at Sepulveda Boulevard and other access streets. Once at Terminal 1, I found a crosswalk that wound its way through a construction zone and to the Theme building. Google maps listed a Bob Hope USO lounge and an observation deck, so I walked around the structure. The landscaping was well-maintained by volunteers tending to the plants. All the doors were locked and taped with notices that said “Closed to the Public 24/7.

Theme Building with well-tended landscaping

I found the entrance doors to the USO canteen and pulled on them. No luck - the door was locked. I turned away and a man opened the door and hollered "Hey, don't go away."

I turned around and said, "I'm not from the armed services, so I am not able to come in, but I was trying to see if the observation deck is open to the public."

He laughed, then said, “The observation deck has been closed for twenty years. The space was used as a nice restaurant for several years, but it is now closed. There’s talk about opening it as a public space for the 2028 Olympics, but it is only talk.”

LAX control tower dwarfs the Theme Building

I thanked him and continued to walk around the base of the structure. One of the lobbies was used as a COVID testing area but it was now closed. I found a spooky-looking sign for the restaurant titled "Encounters."

Exterior courtyard at the Theme Building

          As I walked away, I had the sad feeling that what once was an iconic landmark was now becoming overrun by giant construction all around it. The famous building now seems to be a forgotten senior citizen as thousands of people stream in and out of the airport 24 hours a day.

Let’s hope this ‘modern antique’ gets a new life.

I thanked him and continued to walk around the base of the structure. One of the lobbies was used as a COVID testing area but it was now closed. I found a spooky-looking sign for the restaurant titled "Encounters."

The 'modern antique' somewhat survives