LOS ANGELES | LAX Modernization Plan

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Was the mid-field concourse idea shelved or something? The initial renderings had a big bridge and a second concourse, but that doesn't appear to be anywhere now. Is it cancelled or just on hold?

It will be part of a later phase.

[Stratosphere]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

No updates in a while. Here's a rendering of the new Central Utility Plant (CUP)...



Other updates here.

LAX needs a new control tower too. The current one is fugly.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by Stratosphere

LAX needs a new control tower too. The current one is fugly.

No it doesn't. The new control tower was built in 1996. Still fairly new.

[Quixote]

From SSC. It looks like international travelers will get their first taste of the Bradley West experience in September of next year...

Originally Posted by philip

From LAX Press:

The following four photographs show how the new Bradley West facility will look upon completion. All gates will not open and be operational at the same time. Each photograph shows the key milestones for operation of the various concourses and gates.

The first milestone, September 2012, will open the first gate on the north concourse for and Aircraft Design Group (ADG) VI gate. This will allow for a “soft start” and an opportunity to commence minimal operations and ensure everything isin working order for full operations.



Then the next major milestone, which is the key milestone for the entire project is 12/12/12. This is the date for the opening of all the west side gates and the central core, including the new concession mall. At this point the east side gates are not yet operational, and routing of passengers into the new central core will be through the existing security check points until the final security check point on the mezzanine is constructed and becomes operational.



The next step following the 12/12/12 opening will be the demolition of the existing south concourse to allow completion of the east apron for the new south concourse. The south concourse east gates are anticipated to become operational in August of 2013.



Demolition of the north concourse will follow the demolition of the south concourse, clearing the way for the final construction and opening of all gates. The east side of the north concourse is scheduled to open in December of 2013.

[Troubadour]

"We want to change LAX into L.A. wow," Fentress said. <---- Lamest statement ever. But I'm always in favor of infrastructure improvement. I just hope they don't crap out if they can't sell the bonds - just raise taxes. Make it happen, dammit. BTW, shouldn't this be in a construction thread under General Development now that it's actually being built?

[jg6544]

This is all well-and-good, but is any thought being given to getting TO the airport or PARKING once you get there?

[Quixote]

Here's a comprehensive photo update on the progress of the Bradley West project and the Terminal 6 renovation:

http://www.lawa.org/uploadedFiles/LA...206_7_2011.pdf

Also worth checking out are the newsletters that have been released through the months:

http://www.lawa.org/laxdev/Newsletter.aspx

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Here's a comprehensive photo update on the progress of the Bradley West project and the Terminal 6 renovation:

http://www.lawa.org/uploadedFiles/LA...206_7_2011.pdf

Also worth checking out are the newsletters that have been released through the months:

http://www.lawa.org/laxdev/Newsletter.aspx

Wow, not actully that bad. It's sort of sad, but I am always surprised when L.A. gets something right. This looks right. The designs are all nice, modern, and attractive, if a little safe and clinical. Moreover, I think the fact that they would go out of their way and overhaul not only the international terminal, but the domestic ones, is really great.

[202_Cyclist]

LAX hopes to dominate the Western skies once again
At least $4 billion is being spent on additions to the Bradley International Terminal, improvements to several domestic terminals and upgraded utilities and taxiways to handle the latest generation of super-sized jumbo jets.


Carpenter Jerry Flores works on the metal frames that will be installed in the upper arc of a window in the Bradley West project at LAX. Contractor Walsh Austin is building the massive project that includes new runways, a new terminal and is expected to be completed in late 2012. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times / July 1, 2011

By Dan Weikel
Los Angeles Times
July 2, 2011

"Barring another terrorist attack or recession that disrupts air travel, Los Angeles International Airport — long ranked among the nation's worst aviation hubs — is on a path that could restore its reputation as the West Coast's dominant international gateway.

Modernization projects now underway mark the first major expansion of passenger facilities since the Tom Bradley International Terminal was built for the Summer Olympics 27 years ago..."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,6565178.story

[edluva]

confirms my earlier doubts about the underwhelming design. it already looks outdated and completely lacking in grace. like it was designed in 1989 for a 1995 completion. about as modern looking as our convention center. los angeles is stuck in the 80s and early 90s. 4 billion dollars and this is what they come up with?

well i'm at least thankful lax is catching up at all. what a disappointment

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

what confirmed your doubts? the article? the SF Airport head said that this redesign will take away any advantage SFO had on LAX.

what dont you like about the style of the new terminal?

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by edluva

confirms my earlier doubts about the underwhelming design. it already looks outdated and completely lacking in grace. like it was designed in 1989 for a 1995 completion. about as modern looking as our convention center. los angeles is stuck in the 80s and early 90s. 4 billion dollars and this is what they come up with?

well i'm at least thankful lax is catching up at all. what a disappointment

Right, and EVERY other major city has great terminal architecture.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by edluva

confirms my earlier doubts about the underwhelming design. it already looks outdated and completely lacking in grace. like it was designed in 1989 for a 1995 completion. about as modern looking as our convention center. los angeles is stuck in the 80s and early 90s. 4 billion dollars and this is what they come up with?

well i'm at least thankful lax is catching up at all. what a disappointment

I rather like, but I suppose that kind of stuff is subjective.

[edluva]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

what confirmed your doubts? the article? the SF Airport head said that this redesign will take away any advantage SFO had on LAX.

what dont you like about the style of the new terminal?

i voiced my doubts about old renderings awhile back. the construction pics confirm it's headed in that direction. what don't i like? complete lack of imagination vs terminal projects in other cities around the world. this is not going to appear "light and airy" the way fentress is portraying it. probably what i dislike most is that it's supremely underwhelming for a 4 billion dollar project. more lost potential, something this city seems exceptionally well at doing.

just take a look at construction updates westsidelife posted - intermittent gatehouses as brutally imposing rectangular blocks completely out of scale and context vs the themed concourse. the concourse itself looks busy with imposing columns and innumerable beams. you can already tell from the proportion and height of columns, the number of beams, the width of skylights, this is not going to look light. the most unfornunate fact is terminal 6 ticketing is turning out quite faithful to the 80sesque renderings. heavy white rectangular beams supported by round white columns. goofy proportions overall if you ask me. and like i said, vintage late 80s. richard meier would have done leagues better if you wanted a clinical yet airy looking terminal dressed in white.

the good thing is it's relatively safe. painfully boring, but safe.

[JRinSoCal]

Is the people mover still in the works?

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Oops, wrong thread

[LDVArch]

Originally Posted by edluva

i voiced my doubts about old renderings awhile back. the construction pics confirm it's headed in that direction. what don't i like? complete lack of imagination vs terminal projects in other cities around the world.

Complete lack of imagination, really?

Here is what I see. The roofline is very imaginative. The architect claims it was inspired by the Pacific Ocean, but I also see the forms of Walt Disney Hall, a little of Bruce Goff's Japanese Pavilion at LACMA, and above all the Spanish tile roofs that are synonymous with Los Angeles.

Inside, the space will be articulated by levels that bisect each other, ribbed vaulting in the great hall and elsewhere, and a lightwell between the old and new sections of the core. The total effect will be somewhat gothic, yet culturally-specific given that the inspiration for the interior articulations could have been the general form of the LAX theme building.

As to how it compares to other significant terminals, it is too early too tell. But it is off to a good start with a distinctive roofline. Here that roofline defines the interior spaces more than the roofline at the Hong Kong airport. I think that is a good thing. It is also what I like more about Barajas T4.

Overall, then, I do not share your doubts.

[djlx2]

Originally Posted by edluva

the good thing is it's relatively safe. painfully boring, but safe.

Using restraint in buildings sometimes helps keep attention on the building itself. It's about using angles and compositions to convey a sense of what the building itself is. This isn't an easy task for any architect. People tend to gravitate toward structures they find it easy to walk around in, in any cluttered city, especially one like L.A. You want to focus on the lines of architecture in order to find the context. And the context of any terminal is: just transport. From one city to another. That's the reason why L.A.X. was built.

[JDRCRASH]

Last week I picked someone up at the airport. I have to say, one of the terminal waiting areas I went inside was so dark i often looked at the digital screens. They really need more light in there.

[edluva]

Originally Posted by LDVArch

Complete lack of imagination, really?

Here is what I see. The roofline is very imaginative. The architect claims it was inspired by the Pacific Ocean, but I also see the forms of Walt Disney Hall, a little of Bruce Goff's Japanese Pavilion at LACMA, and above all the Spanish tile roofs that are synonymous with Los Angeles.

Inside, the space will be articulated by levels that bisect each other, ribbed vaulting in the great hall and elsewhere, and a lightwell between the old and new sections of the core. The total effect will be somewhat gothic, yet culturally-specific given that the inspiration for the interior articulations could have been the general form of the LAX theme building.

As to how it compares to other significant terminals, it is too early too tell. But it is off to a good start with a distinctive roofline. Here that roofline defines the interior spaces more than the roofline at the Hong Kong airport. I think that is a good thing. It is also what I like more about Barajas T4.

Overall, then, I do not share your doubts.

gothic? calatrava's bce place with its vaulted arches counts as "somewhat gothic". your assertion that bradley expansion combines somewhat gothic with culturally specific to googie is stretching it imho. with gridded window frames, perpendicular angles, and angular beams throughout, the only consistent "motif" that echos the thoroughly curvilinear theme building in these renderings is the color white and slanted windows. and inspiration from spanish tile roof *shingles* you mean? i highly doubt that. spanish clay tile shingles are about as emblematic of los angeles as crabgrass and california stucco (sarcasm intended). that would be like saying the fortress-like aloofness of mayne's caltrans hq is inspired by the emblematic detachment of LA's drive thrus lol

i tend to side with the architects own assertion that the roofline was inspired by something as blatantly prosaic as "ocean waves" (whoaaa! what a concept, los angeles and ocean waaaaves? duuude! these guys like, totally deserve a pritzker!) like wow- let's echo ocean waves by making the roof have waves like an ocean... only you know, make the waves out of steel cladding to add mystique so as not to fully give it away. how's that for the subtlety of imagination?!

i agree that at least the roofline defines interior spaces here (contrast that with pretty much every tin foil structure designed by master deceptionist gehry where interior spaces could care less). barajas is much more interesting and innovative from a purely structural standpoint than this, and much more daring. what we're getting is what the public works equivalent of a model home. attractive only by virtue of being clean and new. throw in token embellishments (like, ocean waves!) and call it "art" to the uninitiated. i'm not buyin it.

yea, i guess we disagree