PORTLAND — Travelers passing through Portland International Airport on Wednesday were the first to glimpse a reconstructed main terminal that resembles a Pacific Northwest forest.
The terminal’s new 9-acre, wood-beamed ceiling is constructed entirely from sustainably harvested Douglas fir. Ficus, weeping pine and black olive trees provide shade from the 49 skylights above. Dappled sunlight illuminates the wavy, waterlike flooring below.
“The landscape architects call it ‘biophilia,’” Port of Portland Executive Director Curtis Robinhold said, referring to nature’s calming effect on humans.
It is a tranquil scene, despite the constant flow of travelers — the sound-dampening roof and a local pianist’s serenade could put almost anyone at ease.
Building off the airport’s local theme, 95 percent of the steel used in the new roof came from within 25 miles, and all the wood came from within 300 miles of the airport, primarily from small family farms, tribal lands and sustainably managed forests.
Pre-security food options are now mostly local as well, including Grassa, Pilot House Distilling, Sizzle Pie and the return of Blue Star donuts. Additionally, there are 22 new shops, 60 percent of them minority- or women-owned, Robinhold said.
“We’re really going for local brands and an emphasis on Black and brown and women-owned businesses,” he said. “It’s reflective of the regional values.”
Security check
Many people took a moment of repose beneath the trees before heading to the security checkpoint, which has also been updated with calming architecture.
Once there, travelers will spot PDX’s iconic carpet underfoot. Above, 120-foot-wide video walls display a 24-hour art installation. “Extraordinary Windows,” as the piece is titled, mixes short videos created specifically for PDX with Oregon-inspired landscapes that change according to the time of day, the weather and how many people are traveling through the airport.
“The idea is you have something that’s maybe a little bit of a visual stimuli distraction,” Robinhold said. “The lighting in there is also gauged to lower the tension a little bit.”
The revamped security check has wider lanes and updated machines, which should lead to faster screening, according to Robinhold.
Phase 2
Construction isn’t finished, however. The opening of the new terminal marks the end of the first phase. Phase 2 will turn the previous security screening areas into exit lanes from the concourses to the terminal. More restrooms and eight additional new local restaurants and shops then will be added.
That phase is scheduled to be completed in February 2026. With that, after roughly five years of construction, the project will be complete.
Despite doubling the terminal’s physical footprint, skylights, LED lights and a new HVAC system will reduce PDX’s energy footprint by 50 percent, Robinhold said.
“We’ll be almost entirely off of fossil fuels,” he added.
With the extra space, PDX will be able to serve twice as many passengers, according to Robinhold.
The projects are a part of the $2.15 billion PDX Next rebuilding and airport expansion, primarily funded by the airlines.
“The passenger-friendly, speedier screening at Portland Airport is the future of air travel,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in a statement. “Because so many Washingtonians go through PDX every year, these improvements will save the people of our state thousands of hours every year.”
The new terminal is evocative of the Northwest, and the 30,000 people who put in a collective 5.4 million craft hours into building it did so with local pride, Robinhold said.
“You’re going to walk in and not feel like you’re in Chicago or Tallahassee, (Fla.),” he said. “You’re going to be like: ‘This is the Pacific Northwest. That’s where I’m at. This is home.’”
