Portland International Airport (PDX) opened its new, main terminal expansion today and it is stunning. The one million square foot project doubles the current capacity of the airport and will enable PDX to welcome 35 million passengers annually by 2045.
Oregon’s natural beauty is well represented in the terminal with 72 trees, some standing up to 25′ tall, and a massive, nine-acre timber roof. According to ZGF, the designer of the terminal, the expanded terminal is the largest mass timber project of its kind.
All of the 3.5 million board feet of wood for the roof, as well as wood concessions, flooring, and feature walls is sourced from within a 300-mile radius of the Portland Airport and includes wood from small family-owned forests, non-profits, and tribal nations.
While the terminal looks brand new, the space is actually a remodeled and expanded version of the various buildings that have been pieced together since the 1950s. This approach allowed the airport to remain fully operational throughout five year construction period.
Sharron van der Meulen, ZGF Managing Partner, had this to say about the new terminal:
“The new main terminal is a testament to the vision of our incredible client, the Port of Portland, and their willingness to embrace new ideas and lead with optimism. The design evokes the best of our region yet offers other airports a new model for how to expand and renovate in place to meet the travel demands of the future generations.”
Sharron van der Meulen, ZGF Managing Partner
Alaska Celebrates the Opening of Portland’s New Terminal With Technology Improvements
Alaska Airlines is also celebrating the opening of the new terminal. The Seattle based carrier is the largest airline at PDX and operates its second largest hub with 110 peak daily flights to 55 destinations (including its new service to New Orleans). The airline used the terminal opening to launch its “Lobby of the Future” experience at Portland International Airport.
The airline is using “new proprietary and innovative technology and processes to transform the airport experience and move our guests more seamlessly through the lobby and into security in five minutes or less.”
Essentially, the airline is looking to streamline the bag-drop process by allowing bag tags to be printed just by scanning a mobile boarding pass. The airline has partnered with Embross, a leader in self-service technologies, to make it easy for travelers to use Automated Bag Drop stations that can scan and accept their checked baggage. This includes securely matching travelers to their government-issued IDs without having to stand in line for an agent.
While this change is clearly being done in an effort to eliminate check-in agents, Alaska notes that customer service representatives will be available in the lobby to assist passengers that experience issues.
Dan Pippenger, Chief Aviation Officer at the Port of Portland, had this to say about the new terminal and the improvements made by Alaska Airlines:
“The new PDX was designed to double down on everything travelers love about our airport. Our partners at Alaska Airlines understood that vision from the beginning and helped us build a new main terminal that both improves the travel experience and celebrates our region.”
Dan Pippenger, Port of Portland Chief Aviation Officer
Summary
Portland International Airport just unveiled a gorgeous new terminal building. The new area features massive amounts of natural wood finishes as well as over seventy live trees. Though I’ve only seen pictures, this may be the most stunning airport in the United States at the moment.
As part of the terminal opening, Alaska Airlines also unveiled a new check-in and bag drop concept at PDX which the airline states should get passengers from the curb to security in five minutes or less.
I’d be curious to hear from anyone who has flown through the new space, especially on Alaska, about the experience.
(Images courtesy ZGF and Alaska Airlines)
