Portland International Airport (PDX) is finally lifting the curtain on its redesigned main terminal—a space that evokes the Pacific Northwest’s famous wilderness with its wood roof, lush vegetation, plenty of natural light, and a true connection to the region.
Airport operator Port of Portland has been working on PDX’s main terminal since 2020, investing more than $2 billion in the project – paid for by the airport’s airlines and suppliers. Although the project isn’t quite finished, the terminal opened to guests before security checkpoints on Wednesday. And it’s sure to make an impression on even the most jet-lagged and jaded travelers.
Sustainable and biophilic design elements
The lobby, check-in and security areas are covered by a high prefabricated roof, the largest solid wood structure of its kind.
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
All 3.5 million feet of Douglas fir used for the roof and lobby were sustainably harvested within a 300-mile radius of the airport. This includes wood from family-owned forests, nonprofit organizations and tribal nations. The Port of Portland emphasized that this structure shows what is possible in the future with mass timber construction and sustainable wood sourcing.
The roof features 49 skylights that provide natural light into the hall, benefiting both the 72 living trees planted underneath and the passengers.
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
According to the Port of Portland, this “biophilic design” can “reduce travelers’ stress, blood pressure and heart rate” and make them feel like the journey from the check-in counter to security is “like a walk through a Pacific Northwest forest.”
“We wanted travelers to know they were in the Pacific Northwest before they left the airport, and locals to feel at home,” said Vince Granato, chief projects officer at the Port of Portland.
Improved passenger experience
The space also evokes the city of Portland, particularly its pedestrian streets. Benches sit beneath the lobby’s black walnut, ficus and olive trees, and shops and restaurants are nestled in tree-lined plazas.
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
In fact, PDX believes that the airport lobby is so inviting that it will also attract non-travellers, similar to the green Changi Airport (SIN) in Singapore.
The new terminal replaces a hodgepodge of 1950s buildings that, according to Allison Ferre, spokeswoman for the Port of Portland, told CNN, “were not designed for our post-9/11 travel habits with the TSA.”
However, instead of razing the existing terminal, the Port of Portland took a more sustainable approach and developed the terminal further by incorporating old buildings and streamlining the structure with the roof.
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
The new area is larger and will get passengers to their gates faster, doubling the airport’s capacity. By 2045, PDX is expected to welcome 35 million travelers annually, up from around 20 million today.
The security checks have also been equipped with the latest technology. At each checkpoint there is a wood-panelled room where passengers can be checked in complete privacy.
Thanks to a phased construction strategy, the airport remained fully operational throughout the renovation.
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
“The design reflects the best of our region while offering other airports a new model for expansion and renovation to meet the travel needs of future generations,” said Sharron van der Meulen, managing partner of ZGF, the Portland-based architecture firm behind the redesign.
Future-proof and sustainable qualifications
Another proof of the airport’s sustainability is its heating system: an efficient, fully electric geothermal heat pump that reduces the terminal’s energy consumption by 50 percent per square meter.
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
The terminal is also future-proof against natural disasters: thanks to its resilient construction, the building could withstand a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone off the Pacific coast of Oregon.
The popular blue-green carpet is back
In one design aspect, however, PDX is looking back and into its own history. The new space will incorporate the airport’s peppy teal carpet, which was laid in the 1980s and is so popular with locals that it appears on hats, socks and shirts and even has its own beer (a funky, citrusy IPA from Rogue Ales).
Photo: Courtesy of Port of Portland / PDX
Most of the carpet was removed in 2015 and replaced with a more subdued teal carpet, but PDX recreated the original carpet for the renovation. Using a sample, the manufacturers carefully replicated the color and pile height of the old carpet.
550 square feet of the replica carpet will be showcased in two seating areas in the pre-security area, but the rest of the flooring will be terrazzo and Oregon white oak, which is easier for strollers, wheelchairs and rolling bags to navigate, Ferré told The Oregonian.
Construction work is now underway on the second phase of the project. Two exit areas and additional retail and catering areas are scheduled to open in early 2026.
