The LAX Terminal Area Curbside Appeal Project was commissioned to tie together significant key architectural elements located at The Los Angeles International Airport which include the iconic 1960s Theme Building (flying saucer), the 2000 LAX gateway light pylons and the newly designed and constructed terminal light ribbons with vintage art-deco light poles.

From an aesthetic standpoint this is meant to give the airport a much needed infusion of color and energy that warmly welcomes travelers and visitors to this glamourous international destination. The light ribbons color display has been synced to the 26 gateway light pylons and extends through the entire length of the horseshoe shaped curb between terminals 1 and 7 giving the airport a unified sense of cohesion from the airports entrance to exit.  The synced lighting system is designed to feature color shifts that mimics waves in a very subtle and understated pattern and is directly programmed into the base subroutine of the advanced DMX control system. It works as a broad-based ocean metaphor that was chosen primarily because the airport is located directly on ocean front property.

The underlying support framing of the 3 mile long light ribbon is made of (offset) formed channel and tube steel frames, fabricated tube steel assemblies, bent plate bracing and wall mount brackets that have all been hot-dip galvanized to protect the steel from environmental corrosion due to the high concentration of sea salt in the air. The material was also specified to be hot-dip galvanized because they wanted a maintenance free patina assuring that the only scheduled upkeep would be replacing LEDs every 10 years or so, because doing any maintenance repairs at the airport can become an arduous endeavor due to the sheer number of people that maintenance workers have to safely work and navigate around each day, so less maintenance is always at the forefront of thinking and design in regards to any expansion or renovation projects at LAX.

We are honored to be such a crucial part of this ongoing $4.11 billion airport modernization program. The program is wholly funded by Los Angeles World Airports, the authority that runs LAX, which serves over 75 million passengers annually and is the third busiest airport in the country. Hot-dip galvanizing will help to provide long-term corrosion protection for all the carbon steel that was used for these highly visible improvements and we can once again be proud of our industry for providing our communities with the most economical, reliable and maintenance-free form of corrosion protection available today.