The aura of Los Angeles is strongly tied to its movie industry. LAX International Airport received its theme building in 1961 from renowned Los Angeles architect William Pereira. The Theme Building underwent a thorough renovation and modernization from 2007 until 2013, when its restaurant Encounter (which used to be revolving) indefinitely closed.
This mid-century modern style landmark is the gateway to Los Angeles. Pereira’s brother worked as an art director in Hollywood and co-designed the tripods for H.G. Wells’ 1953 film War of the Worlds. The stilt-like legs of these extraterrestrials are said to have inspired William Pereira for his iconic building which can be seen from the Los Angeles area highways from miles afar.
The genius loci is where our own myths and experiences will make the aura live on in our own mythological space, the auratic. The Theme Building is a quintessential Los Angeles landmark, recognized for decades by travelers and moviegoers worldwide.
Like the now defunct iconic TWA terminal, which has been re-invented into a vintage airport hotel, there are similar future plans for the Theme Building. As LAX is undergoing a modernization for the next few years, the Los Angeles Times ponders about the possibility of an airport hotel right next to the Theme Building. We shall see. I sure hope that the Encounter restaurant will some day open again and revolve.
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-travel-lax-theme-building-hotel-idea-future-20190612-story.html
Hugh Pearman, Airports: A Century of Architecture, 2004.
You should bring back the Encounter Restaurant. I think a restaurant can be very successful in the Theme Building, because it gives travelers the option of a sitdown lunch or dinner after a flight, and before the traveler gets on the Automated People Mover to travel to the Consolidated Rent-A-Car Building to get their rental car. The key is to build a short connecting Pedestrian Walkway to connect to the Pedestrian Walkway that goes across the LAX horseshoe connecting Terminals 2 on the north side and Terminals 5 & 6 on the south side to the Automated People Mover station. The Pedestrian Walkway from the Theme Building could connect to the Pedestrian Walkway between Terminals 2 and 5 & 6 directly opposite the connection of the walkway to the Automated People Mover station, so people coming off the Automated People Mover, instead of turning left or right to go to their terminal, can also go straight across to a restaurant at the Theme Building. People who are NOT flying can also easily access a Theme Building restaurant via the Automated People Mover. NON flyers would also enjoy “plane watching” on the rooftop observation deck over the restaurant.
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for your profound reply and expertise. I agree that this iconic restaurant must be reopened and re-imagined, to all its glory of the golden age of travel, in some state of the art retro design. I believe LAX is going through amazing changes in regards to the 2028 Olympics. There’s so much overhauling and even a new terminal (9) happening. Can’t wait for the proposed people movers to be completed. Do you in your field of work have any influence on the players at LAWA? One should discreetly let them know of your proposal? Or pull on board a restaurateur? Let’s hope it’s happening….