Since the year 2000, travelers arriving at the airport have been greeted by the illuminated 32-foot tall letters of "L A X" which are surrounded by color-changing 100-foot pylons of light. This beautiful and iconic welcome to our city was designed by certified firm Selbert Perkins Design (SPD). The company has been working with LAWA for over two decades. In fact, their team also helped to develop LAWA's name and original logo.
This month we spoke with Robin Perkins, a Partner at SPD, who studied graphic design at The Rhode Island School of Design and sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art. Her company has developed signage and wayfinding systems—that is, signs that help direct people where to go—as well as branded environments during their 30 years in business. Robin has a short commute to LAX from the SPD offices in Playa del Rey; the company also has offices in Chicago, Boston and Shanghai.
SPD's primary scope of work on the APM project is developing a comprehensive signage and wayfinding system for the train, six stations and elevated walkways. This complex system includes static and dynamic digital signs. Fortunately, SPD is well suited for exactly this endeavor since the company developed the Wayfinding Design Standards for LAWA.
"Now we are implementing that system," Robin explained, "to help over 80 million [annual] passengers get to their gate for take-off!"
Robin and her team are excited for travelers to ride the APM for the first time and see the landmark LAX letters and pylons from a brand new perspective. While her firm has been working with LAWA for quite some time by helping travelers find their way and greeting visitors upon arrival to our city, Robin is still incredibly grateful to be part of such an impactful project.
"We are excited to be part of a team that is contributing to the transformation of the City of Los Angeles and the L.A. experience," Robin tells us, "as well as working to prepare the city for the 2028 Olympics!"
