Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Gateway Pylons

On September 11, 2006, Frans and Coco Klinkenberg of Angstrom Lighting were among a few special guests invited to the old control tower at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for a special event: the unveiling of a new lighting system that Angstrom had recommended and installed in lighting designer Paul Tzanetopoulos's spectacular colored pylons at the gateway to LAX. The pylons had been specially programmed that day as a tribute to the memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11. (Read more below the photo.)

Photo collage and illustrations by Steve G. Adams

Angstrom Lighting had provided the original lights and equipment for the colored pylons when they were first constructed in 1999. But because the independent firm that ordered the equipment from Angstrom had not taken into account the impact of weather and the oily dirt and debris that accumulates near the airport, LAX was spending a great deal of money to clean and maintain the installation each year.

In 2004, Angstrom president Frans Klinkenberg approached LAX with the idea of replacing the lights in the pylons with LED lighting that was rated for outside use and virtually maintenance-free. He calculated that with the amount of money the airport would save in electricity alone, they could pay for the new fixtures in just six years. In early 2006, the airport received bids from eight companies for the overhaul project—Angstrom was the winner.