The Restaurant Inside LA’s Space Age Theme Building Has Closed

The Restaurant Inside LA’s Space Age Theme Building Has Closed

The restaurant inside an LA architectural icon has closed. Sadly, wannabe George Jetsons will no longer be able to pick up a cocktail at Encounter — the now-former restaurant inside LAX’s Theme Building.

If you’ve ever flown through the LA airport you’ve no doubt noticed the space age, Theme Building. It was originally constructed in 1961, just a year before The Jetsons would debut on American TV.

Stylistically, the building was arguably one of the most influential pieces of architecture for 1960s pop futurists. However, the restaurant inside never could find its footing.

The restaurant first opened in 1997, but hasn’t exactly been a hallmark of L.A. cuisine. When pieces of the building started falling off in 2007, it was closed until a $US12 million restoration in 2010. But, despite the facelift, the last three years obviously haven’t been terribly kind to the restaurant inside.

The funny part? Encounter apparently closed in December, but the local news only picked up the story this week. It seems the restaurant inside this Jetsonian landmark won’t be missed. [Los Angeles Times]

Photo: 1997 photo of the LAX Theme Building from the Associated Press


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.