The iconic ring of 15 pylons and the giant 32-foot-tall L-A-X letters that have marked and illuminated the entrance to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in a wide variety of patterns and colors for the past 25 years are all coming down.

The pylons must go to make room for roadway improvements that are part of the airport’s Airfield and Terminal Modernization Program, which promise to ease traffic congestion and improve traffic flow into, out of and around the airport.

The ring of 15 pylons is part of a total of 26 illuminated pylons, ranging in height from 25 to 100 feet, that stretched along 1.5 miles of Century Boulevard.

Removal of the 15 ‘ring’ pylons started earlier this month, while others were removed earlier to make way for LAX’s forthcoming Automated People Mover train. 

“Since their installation in 2000, the iconic LAX pylons have stood as a vibrant symbol of LAX and Los Angeles, welcoming more than 1.2 billion visitors from around the world,” said Michael Christensen, Chief Airport Development Officer, Los Angeles World Airports, in a statement.

Removing the pylons gives the airport “a unique opportunity to reimagine their design during this exciting new chapter in LAX’s transformation,” he added.

Will the LAX pylons return?

Part of the appeal of the LAX pylons is that their colors could all be changed remotely and were often changed to mark holidays and create tributes.

During Earth Hour each year, the pylons glowed green for an hour, and then went dark for an hour.

Authorities for Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA), which operates LAX, say the original pylon artist, Paul Tzanetopoulos, is currently working with the project team on a new design and configuration of the pylons to be installed when the roadway improvments are done, sometime around 2030.

Images courtesty Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA)

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