Theme Building

The Theme Building is an observation tower with curved arches at Los Angeles International Airport in California, United States. The construction reaches 41 meters (135 feet) in height and supports a disc-shaped platform between four slanted legs.

William Pereira designed the structure in 1961 during a major expansion of the airport in the postwar period. The construction was meant to symbolize the rise of civil aviation.

The name comes from the early 1960s and was meant to make the space age visible to air travelers. The form with its floating platform expresses the belief in technical progress at that time.

Elevators lead from below to the observation level and offer a full view of runways. The entrance is centrally located between the terminals and accessible via walkways.

The arches bend during earthquake movements because steel reinforcements inside the concrete legs allow some flexibility. This technique was new for airport buildings in the 1960s.

Location: California

Inception: 1961

Architects: William Pereira

Official opening: 1961

Architectural style: Googie

GPS coordinates: 33.94410,-118.40200

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:31