After five years, the first phase of the extensive renovation of Portland International Airport’s (PDX) main terminal is complete. The new features include optimized ticket counters and security checkpoints, a lobby flooded with light and plants, a spacious beer bar and the return of the famous PDX carpet. The new terminal officially opened on August 14.
PDX began the remodeling in 2019, but it is not yet complete. Now, parts of the North and South Terminals are being kept under lock and key for the remodeling, which will transform them into expanded exit areas, additional shops and meeting spaces. The second and final phase is scheduled to be completed in December 2025.
The following awaits you in the newly opened terminal.
A bright, natural design
One of the first things you notice when you enter the new terminal is that you can see all the way to the airfield – the space feels very open and airy. Another is the smell of freshly cut wood.
The high truss roof is made entirely of Douglas fir, sourced from sustainable forests and from tribal groups on sovereign lands living within a 300-mile radius of the airport.
“What we really wanted here was that feeling that when you’re in Portland, you know you’re in Portland,” Vince Granato, senior project manager at the Port of Portland, told Afar. “The ceiling helps reflect the region.”
Sharron van der Meulen, managing director of ZGF Architects, the company that designed the terminal, explained why Douglas fir was chosen for the ceiling rather than another material – apart from the fact that the wood is available locally in large quantities and there are many skilled carpenters in the area.
“This inherent connection to wood products is really part of our identity,” said van der Meulen.
The design inspiration for the new space was “a walk in the woods.”
According to Granato, the inspiration for the new terminal’s design was “a walk in the woods.” The curved canopy, exposed wood beams and 49 skylights are intended to create an atmosphere reminiscent of dappled sunlight on the forest floor.
“Everything in the design is aimed at reducing stress and making the journey a little more pleasant,” Granato said. (The airport brings in llamas and alpacas several times a month for the same reason.)
In addition, there are over 70 trees, including olive trees and ficus trees, as well as over 5,000 shrubs spread throughout the terminal (the latter are all native to the Pacific Northwest).
The ticket and baggage drop-off areas are closest to the doors. From there, travelers can follow the terrazzo and Oregon white oak floors left or right to the two security areas, each equipped with automated security bins. (The curvaceous pattern of the floors mimics the geometry of the roof while also being a subtle nod to the water systems in the area, such as the Willamette River and the Columbia River.)
Those with some time to linger can hang out in the spacious lobby, which features two huge central stadium seating areas with benches designed to look like river rocks and branches.
“It was designed as a public gathering place,” Granato explained. “There are always large groups coming through, whether it’s sports teams or families, so we thought this would be a good place for people to gather before going through security.”
Stripes of the famous PDX carpet can be found throughout the new terminal, including next to this installation by local artist Yoonhee Choi.
Photo by Celeste Noche/Port of Portland
The return of the famous PDX carpet
Portland Airport’s classic and beloved carpet also made a comeback with the new terminal. Originally designed in 1987, the custom-made teal flooring with red, pink and purple accents (meant to evoke an abstract control tower and runways) was replaced in 2015, much to the disappointment of locals.
“When we first did focus groups, we asked people what they wanted to see at the airport, and they said they would like to keep the heart and soul of it,” Granato said. “The carpet was a big deal for them.”
The reproduction, which PDX says took seven attempts to get right, can be found like Easter eggs throughout the space, including under a grand piano next to Missionary Chocolates and up on the stadium seats.
Travelers can also find the location on Fly PDX’s online terminal map by selecting “The Carpet” in the search bar.
The opportunity to meet therapy lamas
Another feature of the new PDX: therapy llamas. “The llamas and alpacas visit PDX to soothe and delight travelers as part of the airport’s broader animal therapy program. They typically come a few times a month, and passengers Love it. It’s PDX’s unique way of bringing joy to travelers,” an airport spokesperson told Afar.
The llamas and alpacas will be seen at special events such as the holiday season and a summer street festival in July. Want to know when the camels will next visit PDX? You can follow the airport on Instagram and get tips for future visits from the furry friends.
Art that reflects the Pacific Northwest
Above each security checkpoint are video walls that display beautiful images of the Pacific Northwest, such as Mount Hood on a sunny day or the Columbia River Gorge awash in wildflowers. These images are captured by local photographers and videographers. There is no sound or advertisements – Granato said they wanted the screens to reduce the stress associated with waiting in line. The videos also adapt to what is happening in and around the airport. For example, if it is raining outside, the video walls will also show rain.
Everywhere you go, you’ll be visually reminded that you’re in the Pacific Northwest, with giant video screens showing images of the region.
Photo by Dror Baldinger/Port of Portland
Elsewhere in the terminal, local artist Yoonhee Choi was commissioned to create two 17-meter-long and 3.3-meter-high glass walls decorated with whimsical, abstract patterns (partly inspired by the blue and green speech bubbles around texts) that are visible from every security checkpoint. And LA-based artist Sanford Biggers created two large-scale sculptures inspired by his quilt-based work that hang from the ceiling in the passageway connecting the two departure halls.
Stumptown Coffee, Pendleton, Powell’s Books, local craft beer and more
Two dozen shops and restaurants have been or will be integrated into the new terminal area, each in its own woodworking shop. All are Portland-based and half are owned by women and minorities.
These already include retailers such as Pendleton (a wool clothing and blanket company), Hello From Portland (a gift shop with locally made jewelry, stickers, food and gifts) and Powell’s Books (a famous bookstore whose airport branch closed during the pandemic).
Restaurants in the terminal include Grassa, a maker of handmade pasta, and Country Cat, a salad and sandwich shop. Those in need of caffeine can visit Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Portland Coffee Roasters. And craft beer lovers can head to the 1,000-square-foot Loyal Legion Beer Hall, which overlooks the airfield and features 96 taps (and eventually a speakeasy). Note that Powell’s, as well as distillery Freeland Spirits and canned cocktail maker Straightaway, will be housed in temporary kiosks until their permanent stores are built in the second phase of construction.
Unique to PDX is a program to support small businesses that have previously been unable to set up shop in airports because of high costs and long lease terms. (In PDX, that’s typically seven-year leases for retail and a decade for food and beverage.) Two retail spaces have been allocated to retailers to use as an incubator of sorts for a year, after which the hope is they can move to permanent spaces in PDX or other airports. (Bambuza Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar, which currently operates in Seattle and Portland airports and will soon have a location at Salt Lake City airport, started in PDX.) Missionary Chocolates and Orox Leather are the first-year tenants in PDX.
If you experience déjà vu as you walk through the concession area, that’s intentional. It was designed to resemble Portland’s most popular shopping areas like 23rd and Mississippi Streets, with the same building heights, the same signage placement, and the same spacing between trees and light poles.
Added bonus: You don’t have to fly to visit the above-mentioned shops or restaurants at the airport—all of the new concessions are located before security.
“People enjoy coming to Portland Airport and meeting their guests, I think more than at other airports,” Granato said. “It was important to us to create a space for locals as well.”
