The Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport was a true Modern icon when construction was completed on it in 1961. The landmark is now recognized worldwide as a space-age symbol of the airport, and the city itself.
Designed as part of a major postwar expansion project at the airport, the final blueprint ended up being a scaled-down version of the original vision of an enormous glass dome. The structure was seen by planners as a central focal point surrounded by the terminal buildings and parking structures. The original, and revised designs, were spearheaded by the architectural firm of Pereira and Lucian.
The Theme Building features a UFO style restaurant suspended from the center of two massive crossed arches constructed with stucco-covered steel. A screen wall of decorative concrete block surrounds the building, adding another Mid-Century Modern touch. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building as a historic-cultural monument in 1993. A $4 million renovation including electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering was completed before the Encounter Restaurant was opened in 1997. The Restaurant was closed in December of 2013, but the building’s observation level is still open on weekends.
