This past week I was invited out to the Museum of Flying to check out their new exhibit “Now Boarding.”

This exhibit is the first exhibition of its kind.  It looks at the history of flight, and also incorporates Fentress Architects airport design features that also showcases the history of design.

For me, this was a very educational exhibit, and gave me a broader sense of what actually goes into the design of an airport.

Take Denver, for example.  Given the airport huge windows, and the roof being made of tent like material to give the airport a feel that looks like the surrounding Rocky Mountains surrounding the airport.

Or taking a closer look at the Seattle Airport.  Fentress Architects looked at the surrounding Seattle area and designed the airport after the Pike’s Place marketplace.  Their hope was to give the airport the kind of energy that Pike’s Place also exhibits.

And did you know that the LAX has been undergoing it’s own renovations with their Tom Bradley terminal?  Currently, there are 3 gates open out of this terminal, but by the end of the renovation, there will be 18 new gates available.  The design model was also featured at this exhibit at the Museum of Flying.  5 more gates should be open by summer and the rest opening up by the end of the 2013 year.

During the night, there was also a fun fashion show that showcased the history of the flight attendant uniform with some very comical uniforms during the years.

With the end, head of Fentress Architects, Curtis Fentress, also walked the runway:

It was a fun night being surrounded by airplanes, friends, and others who had a love of architect in relation to airports and design.  The exhibit had a variety of picture opportunities throughout, and was enjoyable to walk through.

Museum of Flying:

3100 Airport Drive

Santa Monica, CA

Hours: 10am to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday.

Tickets:

Adults: 10 dollars

Seniors: 8 dollars

Kids 6-12: 6 dollars

Kids 5 and under: FREE