The roof of the revitalized Forum in Inglewood being outfitted with a 407-foot in diameter replica of the Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ vinyl LP in conjunction with the Eagles reopening the arena with six concerts in January. (Randy Edwards / December 31, 2013)By Randy Lewis
January 1, 2014, 5:00 a.m.
In anticipation of the Jan. 15 reopening of the Forum in Inglewood with the first of six concerts by the Eagles, officials behind the arena’s revival are rigging up the building’s circular roof so it temporarily takes on the appearance of the world’s largest vinyl LP: the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” naturally.
The six shows, which run from Jan. 15 to Jan. 25, are close to sold out, according to a Forum representative. That’s impressive, but for the Eagles not unprecedented. In 2005, the group played six sold-out shows at Staples Center and another six at Anaheim’s Honda Center. In 2010, the last time they played the Southland, the band played three sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl and a fourth at the Honda Center.
The mock LP is 407 feet in diameter and built from 250,000 square feet of printed vinyl, and it will rotate at 17 mph. It took 10 days for 75 construction workers to erect it. In all, the project required 25 tons of materials, including 1 mile worth of aluminum truss to suspend it above the Forum’s roof.
It will operate throughout the Eagles’ performances and through the end of the month. The project will be visible primarily to passengers on flights in and out of Los Angeles International Airport, where about 1,700 flights per day arrive and depart close to the Forum.
Madison Square Garden Co. bought the Forum last year from the Faithful Central Bible Church of Inglewood for $23.5 million and is investing another $75 million to create what’s being billed as the largest arena dedicated to music and live entertainment.
The Forum opened in 1968 and was the premier concert arena in the Southland until it was supplanted in 1999 when Staples Center opened in downtown Los Angeles.
Additional information about the Forum’s face lift is at www.fabulousforum.com/about.html.
Video footage of the construction can be seen here:
