Politics & Government

LAX Offers Peek at Airport's New International Terminal

Los Angeles city and airport officials showcase the $1.9 billion renovation and expansion of LAX.

By City News Service

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and airport officials today offered an early glimpse of a sleeker, airier and more upscale Tom Bradley International Terminal, which is undergoing a $1.9 billion facelift to be completed later this year.

The terminal's 150,000-square-foot Great Hall, designed to evoke the Pacific Ocean with its curved ceiling and wave-like patterns, is nearing completion, as are nine new boarding gates planned to accommodate a new generation of super jumbo jets.

Airport Commission President Michael Lawson said the renovations are the "centerpiece" of a $4.1 billion Capital Improvements Program at Los Angeles International Airport -- the largest public works project in the city's history.

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Weary international travelers disembarking into the new terminal and Great Hall -- recently named the Villaraigosa Pavilion -- will be greeted by high-resolution images of Los Angeles and some of its residents via jumbo digital screens embedded into the architecture.

"You're almost at a loss for words when you walk in here ... when you think about how, eight years ago, we were mired in lawsuits," Villaraigosa said in recalling the legal challenges that held up renovations for years.

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"We hadn't done anything to this airport since 1984, when we built this terminal and named it after (former Mayor) Tom Bradley," he said. "Settling the lawsuit was so important to the modernization that's taken place not just here, but throughout the airport."

Villaraigosa, credited for resolving several lawsuits that held up long- planned upgrades to the airport, said he pushed airport officials to stick to a strict timetable, telling them "this has to be finished or at least presentable before I'm gone."

Villaraigosa, termed out after eight years as mayor, steps down at the end of the month.

He said the new pavilion, with more than 20 local businesses, is more "emblematic of what this town is all about."

The 60-plus high-end retailers and restaurants set to fill the new pavilion include wine bars, offshoots of hip Los Angeles eateries and shops selling Petrossian-brand caviar and designer clothing more typical of iconic Southland locales such as Rodeo Drive.

The 31 restaurants set to open include ink.sack, Border Grill, Umami Burger, 800 Degrees and Larder at Tavern, and the 50,000 square feet of retail space will feature shops such as Fred Segal, Bvlgari, Porsche Design and Kitson.

Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports -- the city agency that runs several airports in region -- said the terminal's newfound sophistication will give LAX an edge as airlines with jets that can make longer flights become more selective about where they stop.

"We are competing with every other city that has woken up and realized that these international flights are an absolute bread basket and backbone for their economy," she said. "We are about to deliver what the airlines and the passengers have come to expect from a world-class international travel experience. And I dare say we've actually even exceeded that."

The pavilion's main architect, Curtis Fentress, said he focused on making LAX -- long dogged by a reputation for being among the worst airports in the world in terms of the passenger experience and perception -- a relaxing and inviting experience.

A frequent traveler himself, Fentress said his design, which features expansive windows letting in natural light, "gives you a nice warm hug when you come into the building -- it makes you feel good, and that's what it's about."

Fentress, who also designed Incheon International Airport in South Korea, worked with the contractor, Walsh Austin Joint Venture, to realize his designs for LAX, including the north and south concourses that will be partially completed later this year.

A second phase of the renovations, including nine new eastside boarding gates along the two concourses, a renovated immigration and passport control area and new federal security-screening areas, are to be finished in 2015.

A preview gala tonight was to feature red carpet arrivals and the premiere of a 72-foot-tall digital time tower, as well as the debut of an original symphonic overture by the 70-piece Hollywood Scoring Orchestra.

The piece was composed by Emmanuel Fratianni and Laurie Robinson and showcases the International Children' Choir, percussionists and soloists.

Grammy Award winner David Foster will also perform with special guests, and television and radio personality Leeza Gibbons will serve as the master of ceremonies.

A bust of former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley will be re-dedicated prior to this Saturday's open house at the Bradley Terminal.

"The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is the first and last impression nine million travelers have of Los Angeles every year," Villaraigosa said. "This new terminal enhances passenger safety and security, while giving travelers the first-class airport experience they expect from a world-class city like Los Angeles."



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