The distinctive white googie Theme Building , designed by Pereira & Luckman architect Paul Williams and constructed in 1961 by Robert E. McKee Construction Co. , resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs . A restaurant with a sweeping view of the airport is suspended beneath two arches that form the legs . The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1992 . A $ 4 million renovation , with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering , was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997 but is no longer in business . Visitors are able to take the elevator up to the Observation Deck of the " Theme Building " , which closed after the September 11 , 2001 attacks for security reasons and reopened to the public on weekends beginning on July 10 , 2010 . Although , as of April 2019 , the hours of operation had not been consistent as the Observation Deck had been not been open at all during weekends . Additionally , a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks is located on the grounds , as three of the four hijacked planes were originally destined for LAX . The Bob Hope USO expanded and relocated to the first floor of the Theme Building in 2018
September 11 , 2001 attacks
September 11 attacks
Los Angeles International Airport