Sunday, December 8, 2013

Theme Building & The Encounter at LAX


The Theme Building is located at the Los Angeles International Airport.  It opened in 1961 as an example of the mid-century modern influenced design known as Googie or Populuxe.



 
Originally the design of the airport had all terminal buildings and parking structures connecting to a central hub.  Plans were scaled down and terminals were constructed elsewhere.  The Theme Building was built to mark the spot where the central hub would have been and as a reminder of those plans.  The restaurant inside the building used to rotate giving patrons a 360-degree dinning experience, however it is now stationary.


 
 
In the late 1990s, Walt Disney Imagineering redesigned the inside of the building where The Encounter Restaurant & Bar is located.  Instead of creating a futuristic theme from a 90s viewpoint they kept the 1960s concept of the future and the Googie style that emerged.  Because of this there is a nostalgic feeling with the push and pull relationship between the past and the future.
 





Kristopher Turner

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