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The New Tom Bradley International Terminal will give travellers a “first-class airport experience” says Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti |
USA. The spectacular new Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) opened in style yesterday. The terminal includes an extensive, high-class retail offer from DFS Group and a much-enhanced food & beverage line-up. As reported, the terminal had a major media preview – attended by The Moodie Report – in June.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was joined by former mayors and elected officials; airport officials and representatives of airlines; and other airport tenants to commemorate the start of flight operations at TBIT. The start of flight operations marks completion of Phase I of the overall US$1.9-billion New TBIT Project (to be completed in 2015). The project is also the key feature in the US$4.1-billion LAX Capital Improvements Program-Phase 1, the largest public works project in the history of the City of Los Angeles.
Shortly after 12 a.m. yesterday morning (L.A. time), the 30 foreign air carriers at TBIT began transitioning operations from aircraft gates in the existing Tom Bradley terminal, to five new gates on the west side of the new terminal’s South Concourse. In addition to three gates in the North Concourse that opened in March 2013, there are now a total of eight new gates on the west side of the terminal, which can accommodate larger, new-generation aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental.
“The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is the first and last impression of Los Angeles for nine million travellers every year,” said Mayor Garcetti. “This new terminal enhances passenger safety and security, while giving travellers the first-class airport experience they expect from a world-class city like Los Angeles.”
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The 150,000sq ft Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion is at the terminal’s heart |
Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said: “Passenger-friendly terminals and conveniences, airplane-friendly taxiways and gates are all “˜must haves’ as airports around the world compete for the economic vitality that world-class airports create. Our goal is to modernize LAX to ensure it retains its vital role as the cornerstone of Southern California’s air transportation system.”
“We are pleased to welcome the first travellers into the Villaraigosa Pavilion today to delight in this next-generation airport experience,” said Peter Lowy, co-Chief Executive of the Westfield Group. “With flight operations now underway, we look forward to introducing passengers to the best local and global brands as we begin the transition to transform LAX into a global gateway beyond travellers’ wildest dreams, and we look forward to the future of LAX.”
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A landmark day for LAX as the New TBIT opens to passengers |
The more than 30 airlines at Tom Bradley International Terminal served 8.6 million international travellers in 2012, or 50% of LAX’s overall 17 million international passenger volume.
At the terminal’s heart is the 150,000sq ft Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion (named after the former Mayor), which houses more than 60 food & beverage units and stores, including an upscale offer from DFS, plus further luxury retail.
The New TBIT programme blends an upscale international flavour with a distinctly Los Angeles feel, and includes 22 local brands. It includes a US$79.8-million dining and retail investment by Westfield and its partners and a US$25-milion investment by DFS in duty free.
DFS’s duty free space has more than doubled to 25,000sq ft compared to the previous terminal, covering four stores. Other retail and news & gifts are now also housed in 25,000sq ft of space, compared to 11,000sq ft previously.
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DFS first revealed its updated brand identity at its impressive LAX stores |
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“The opening of the New Tom Bradley International Terminal marks an important milestone in the elevation of LAX to its rightful status as a world-class airport,” said DFS North America Managing Director Polly Nelson. “DFS would like to congratulate the City of Los Angeles and particularly Gina Marie Lindsey and her team at Los Angeles World Airports on the opening of this incredible new facility. Through its presence in the new complex, DFS is very pleased to play its part in this transition and is committed to providing a duty free customer shopping experience that will place LAX among the world’s favourite airports for international travellers.”
The new dining and retail collection will be phased in as concessions transition from pre-security to post-security. The existing concessions will remain open as the new dining areas and shops are opened progressively in the coming days and weeks.
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Westfield’s F&B areas are said to “showcase freshness, demonstration cooking, and sophisticated architecture” in the terminal. When complete, the line-up will include a wide array of options that offer a traveller-friendly mix of healthy and fresh sit-down, casual and grab-and-go, Westfield said. The terminal also celebrates local restaurants from renowned chefs Michael Voltaggio, duo Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, Suzanne Goin, and others whose cuisine reflects Los Angeles’ culture, diversity and trends.
The F&B options include:
• ink.sack (495sq ft): Creative sandwiches from “˜Top Chef’ winner Michael Voltaggio
• Border Grill (621sq ft): Upscale Mexican food from chef duo Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken
• Umami Burger (739sq ft): L.A. outlet awarded GQ’s “Burger of the Year” title
• LAMill Coffee (563sq ft): Freshly roasted direct-trade coffees
• Larder at Tavern (1,813sq ft): Gourmet sandwiches, charcuterie and more from James Beard Award winner Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne
• 800 Degrees Pizza (654sq ft): Wood-fired Neapolitan pies from the well-known L.A. pizzeria
• III Forks (6,090sq ft): A modern steakhouse
• Chaya (664sq ft): Euro-Asian eatery with fresh fish and local, sustainable ingredients
• Petrossian Caviar & Champagne Bar (709sq ft): Luxury delicacies and fine wines
• Vino Volo (1,549sq ft): Expertly-selected wines and elegant small plates from the acclaimed boutique wine retailer
• Luckyfish by Sushi Roku (1,153sq ft): Sushi, fine sake and other Japanese favourites
• Short Cake (506sq ft): Artisanal bakery serving scaled-down versions of classic confections
• James’ Beach (1,052sq ft): Award-winning modern American comfort food
• Vanilla Bake Shop (165sq ft): Baked goods with high-quality ingredients
• Starbucks Evenings (1,321sq ft): Smart wine selections and light bites
• Marmalade Café (784sq ft): Fresh, California-inspired cuisine
• Other F&B options include The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Pinkberry, Starbucks, Drink.LA, Scoreboard LA and Panda Express.
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There is an upscale feel to the newly built terminal’s retail areas, aided by the presence of many leading international brand names |
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Retail destinations in the terminal include the “˜Luxury Island’ with high-end shops and seating; and the “˜Boutique District’ that aims to mirror the style of the shops of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. There are boutiques from well-known local brands such as Fred Segal and Kitson that aim to “introduce the Southern California style to a global audience” according to Westfield.
Other high-end fashion brands include Bulgari, Michael Kors and Coach. These are complemented by stores representing Hugo Boss, Porsche Design, Tumi and Victoria’s Secret. There is also an upscale XpresSpa unit offering luxury spa services.
Other retail brands include iStore Boutique, See’s Candies, Hudson, The Bead Factory, Bienvenida Flowers & Gifts, Angeleno News, Relay, Malibu Shades, Virgin Mobile/Boost Mobile, Travel + Leisure, CNN Newsstand Los Angeles, USA Today Travel Zone, The Economist, Sanrio Surprises, Hollywood Reporter, and 7-Eleven.
Westfield said that it expected US$98 million in concession sales from the new terminal [the company manages all retail, F&B and other services, but DFS has a separate contract with the airport -Ed].
LAWA Deputy Executive Director Commercial Development Group Debbie Bowers said during the media preview in June that the airport expected a minimum sales uplift of +20% compared to the existing concessions space in the international terminal.
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The New TBIT benefits from natural light and easy wayfinding |
Passengers will also experience for the first time, a significant feature of the New TBIT, claimed to be one of the most advanced multimedia Integrated Environmental Media Systems (IEMS) at a North American airport. The system includes seven large screens and over 12,000sq ft of LED tiles. The highlight is the 72-foot-tall Time Tower, with an interactive base that triggers content across 5,480sq ft.
Los Angeles Airport said IEMS was designed “to create an unprecedented passenger experience and a non-aeronautical revenue source for LAX, and the revenue-generating platform is considered the first sponsorship programme [of its type] at a US airport.”
Inspiring architecture
Fentress Architects’ design of the New TBIT was inspired by the Pacific Ocean on LAX’s west side, with a flowing roofline that is said to recall the rhythm of waves breaking on the beach. An open and spacious 110-foot-tall Great Hall filled with natural daylight acknowledges Southern California’s temperate climate, while its aluminum roof arches over the column-free structure.
The new terminal has already won architectural design awards and is expected to become a new iconic structure for Los Angeles, said the architects, joining the historical LAX Theme Building and its parabolic arches.
“What makes the architecture in the New Tom Bradley International Terminal so significant is that it represents the majestic quality and contemporary philosophies of Los Angeles. Its inspired design solution is in response to its setting, the beautiful waves of the Pacific Ocean,” said Curtis Fentress, Principal in charge of design for the LAX modernization.
Key elements of TBIT
• 18 new aircraft boarding gates, of which half can accommodate larger, new-generation aircraft, such as the Airbus 380 and Boeing 747-8
• Roomier boarding gate/waiting areas with half of the seats integrated with electrical outlets for charging personal electronic devices
• Triple (for A380s) and dual passenger-loading bridges for faster boarding and deplaning
• Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion (Great Hall) with 150,000sq ft of dining, retail shopping, airline lounges, a children’s play area, spa, and other passenger amenities
• Public art commissions and Integrated Environmental Media System consisting of seven screens
• Fully modernized facility will be able to accommodate 4,500 passengers per hour, up from current 2,800 passengers
Project Scope
Phase 1 of the New TBIT Project, which broke ground in February 2010, includes north and south concourses with nine boarding gates on the west side of the terminal, plus the Antonio Villaraigosa Pavilion (Great Hall). The project adds nearly 1.2 million square feet to double the size of the existing terminal.
Phase 2 of the project, which begins later this year, includes: demolition of the existing terminal’s east side gates; new boarding bridges and aircraft aprons on the east side of the new terminal; upgraded federal customs and immigration inspection areas; relocation of and upgrade to the federal passenger security screening area; public art installations; and secured corridors between Terminal 3, TBIT and Terminal 4 so connecting passengers can conveniently go from one terminal to the next.
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The New TBIT programme blends an upscale international flavour with a distinctly Los Angeles feel; the media installations are stunning in size and scale |
