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Long Beach

Long Beach Airport Unveils New Terminal

 All pictures courtesy of Studio One Eleven.

The sprawl of temporary trailers are--thankfully--just that: temporary for the Long Beach Airport (LGB) while they continue construction on the much-needed new terminal.

In a partnership with local firm Studio One Eleven, the entire design is Long Beach-y in the sense that it not only caters to local businesses rather than chains (this keep-it-local mentality is what has driven success in neighborhoods such as Retro Row and the East Village while the lack of it has exacerbated desolation in areas like the Pike), but also ties in the airport's historical value with contemporary comfort. When you enter the main building, for example, one should notice the restoration occurring of the mosaic floor that was uncovered once tattered carpets and flooring were removed; this old-school aesthetic is what ushers one into the new, more contemporary terminal that seeks to, in the words of LGB, become the gateway into Long Beach.

The span of the new terminal will create 10,000 sq. ft. of retail space along with 4,200 sq. ft. of patio/outdoor space complete with multiple fire places, cabanas, a living wall, and a space for live entertainment.

The two new buildings--the North and South Concourses--will be situated on the ends of a stretch of garden on axis with the original terminal constructed during the 1940s. Using a variety of environmentally sound and natural materials--reclaimed wood veneers that range from green to gray, coconut shell counters, Carrera marble--the gist of the new terminal seems focused entirely on comfort, encouraging travelers to not just simply pass through, but engage with the space.

The North Concourse seeks to accommodate the comforts of the traveller of leisure. It features a new location for popular Retro Row winebar 4th Street Vine that will opposite the chophouse on the South end; operable glass doors control either an enclosed, intimate environment or an open-air, seamless patio-to-interior space which use the ceiling-suspended two-sided fireplace to keep those with a chill warm. The Marche is the North's version of a food court: lacking the overwhelmingly frenetic feel of traditional food courts, this open-air plan features a concierge where guests pick up a basket and meander at will and visit the outdoor dining patios and cabanas of the Terrace.
And on a bike-nerd point: the area which houses the Long Beach Business Journal will host a "sharrow" on its concrete floor as an ode to the city's ever-growing bike culture.

The South Concourse seeks to make a home for the business-minded visitor. McKenna's On the Fly--a play on popular seafood-ery McKenna's On the Bay--will act as the mainstay dining experience for the space, evoking a modern American chophouse that uses deeply rich colors with leather, reclaimed woods, and hexagonal shapes; a sushi bar will be centrally located in the restaurant. Local Belmont Shore favorites Polly's and Sweet Jill's will share a space to offer travelers in need of caffeine and something to cure their sweet-tooth. And in the airport's only non-local branding partner, CNBC will serve as the main news source.

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