Architecture of Los Angeles International Airport - Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Looking at the 1960's futuristic architecture of LAX, feeling the thunder of hundreds of jumbo jets, and being jostled by the millions of people who pass through every week, it's hard to believe that less than a century ago this was a field of barley, wheat, and lima beans. The Bennett Rancho certainly has changed since since the airplane came to town. The local newspaper was aghast in 1928 when the city of Los Angeles proposed spending $3,000,000.00 for 640 acres of land for an airport. Who would use it? Why so much money? And why so much land? These days we know the answer, and LAX has grown so big and so congested that three other relief airports have also become swamped. Even back then, Los Angeles was populated with visionaries. But obviously not enough of them, because the voters rejected a bond issue to pay for the project. The city was forced to rent the land instead of buying it. Still, at least it was theirs -- just three dirt landing strips at first, but it was a start. Those strips were eventually leveled and oiled to keep the dust down. The next innovation would be adobe coated with oil, which made landing in the rain suicidal. Then the runways advanced to crushed rock and oil, compressed not with steam rollers, but with ordinary cars because the airport couldn't afford to hire any more construction equipment. These days everything is steel-reinforced concrete and asphalt. Also today the most outstanding feature of LAX isn't the runways, it's what is known as the "Theme Building" next to the 22-story, 227-foot-tall, control tower. Resembling a monstrous spider, or an undersea lair from a James Bond film, the Theme Building was built to show the world that Los Angeles was ready for the future. Inside is the Encounter Restaurant which rests on a pillar 70-feet above the ground hidden by the spider legs.

During World War II the airport was taken over by the Army and Navy. They constructed war planes at the field, but camouflaged their work so that from the air it looked like a farm, not a military installation.
In 1942 a temporary terminal was erected. This remained in service until 1961.
LAX didn't make any money until 1952. It never lost money after that.
July, 2001 -A mural at Los Angeles International Airport is causing quite a stir. It is composed of muscular naked men and is sandblasted into the granite floor of the American Airlines terminal. Some fear it will offend people at the busy airport, but it was approved by the city's Cultural Affairs Department.
2 July, 2002 - The mayor of Los Angeles unveils a US$9,000,000,000.00 plan to renovate the airport to reduce congestion, improve security, and allow it to handle more large jets. Half of the price tag will be paid for by airlines through increased fees. The rest will be paid for by taxpayers through increased fees.