Yesterday, we managed to get inside LAX's under-construction Bradley West International Terminal, which we've been seeing exterior shots of for quite some time now. Roger Johnson, the Deputy Executive Director of Airports Development, told a group of bloggers gathered for a tour that architect Curtis Fentress was in competition with Santiago Calatrava for the design--Fentress won out for his contextual approach. Before Fentress's firm created final designs, they and airport officials met with Angelenos from Westchester to the Valley and held charettes, collecting a set of 5,000 words to describe Los Angeles. The words were sorted into five groups--media, the future, diversity, change, the environment--and Fentress's team worked on designs for all five categories. You can see the crashing waves influence in the "environment" design that was chosen (see renderings here).
International travelers will get a much nicer intro to the city via Bradley West than from the old Tom Bradley--there are actually windows (big ones) and views to the city (even in yesterday's haze, we spotted the tiny little Hollywood Sign in the distance). Many of these photos show the Great Hall, a huge area with restaurants, retail, concessions, first class lounges (on the top level), and video screens galore. There'll be a "clock tower," which will usually show a clock (a callback to old school travel, says Johnson), and a big screen across from it called the storyboard (the screens can show Los Angeles imagery, destination scenes, and yes, ads).
Phase I includes the west gates (which can handle jumbo-sized A380s) and the Great Hall and is expected to open in December 2012. The east gates of Phase II should be ready in late 2013.
· Bradley West at LAX Ready For Takeoff in January [Curbed LA]
· LAX Rendering Reveal: Great Hall And More [Curbed LA]
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