Portland Airport Has a New Terminal, With an Indoor Forest, Local Food and Beer, and Therapy Llamas

14.08.2024 - 19:48 / afar.com

After five years, the first phase of Portland International Airport’s (PDX) massive main terminal renovation, featuring streamlined ticket counters and security checkpoints, a light- and plant-filled lobby, a sprawling beer bar, and the return of the famous PDX carpet, is complete. The new terminal officially opened on August 14.

PDX started its transformation in 2019, although it isn’t done yet. Now, portions of the north and south terminals will go under wraps for remodeling, which will see them turned into expanded exit areas, additional shops, and meeting spaces. The second and final phase is slated for a December 2025 completion date.

Here’s what you can expect in the newly opened terminal.

One of the first things you’ll notice when walking into the new terminal is that you can see all the way through to the airfield—the space has a very open and airy concept. Another is the smell of freshly cut wood.

The soaring timber-lattice roof is made entirely of Douglas fir, sourced from the forests of sustainable loggers and sovereign lands tribal groups located within 300 miles of the airport.

“What we really wanted here was this sense that when you’re in Portland, you know you’re in Portland,” Vince Granato, chief projects officer at the Port of Portland, told Afar. “The ceiling helps reflect the region.”

Sharron van der Meulen, managing director at ZGF Architects, the firm that designed the terminal, explained why Douglas fir was chosen for the ceiling over other materials—apart from the wood being an abundant local material and there being many skilled woodworkers in the area.

“It is really part of our identity, that inherent connection to wood products,” van der Meulen said.

The design inspiration for the new space was “a walk in the forest.”

Photo by Ema Peter

According to Granato, the design inspiration behind the new terminal was “a walk in the forest.” The curved canopy, exposed wooden beams, and 49 skylights are meant to create a setting that is reminiscent of dappled sunlight on the forest floor.

“Everything in the design is intended to reduce stress, [and] make the journey a little more pleasant,” Granato said. (That same reason is why the airport brings in llamas and alpacas a few times a month.)

There are also more than 70 trees, including black olives and ficus, and more than 5,000 shrubs scattered throughout the terminal (the latter all being native to the Pacific Northwest).

The ticketing and bag drop areas are closest to the doors. From there, travelers can follow the terrazzo and Oregon white oak floors left or right to the twin security areas, each outfitted with automated security bins. (The floors’ curvaceous pattern mimics the geometry of the roof while also giving a subtle nod to