Portland Leans Into that Pacific Northwest Vibe

#PDXCarpet selfies encouraged

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“Bring. Back. The. Carpet.” signs on the construction walls blocking off the new mass-timber terminal at Portland International Airport, known as PDX, playfully state.

You know the carpet. The garish teal expanse of fabric with a hash pattern that some say is based on the layout of PDX’s runways that’s beloved locally and an icon of Portland kitsch. #PDXCarpet is the viral sensation that makes a comeback in the new ZGF Architects-designed terminal that opens on August 14.

Even your intrepid reporter couldn’t resist wearing his PDX Carpet socks (I left my hat at home) on a recent pre-opening tour of the terminal.

The new Portland terminal will feature the original PDX Carpet initially in two locations above the security checkpoints.

The carpet is just one aspect of the new terminal that makes it uniquely Portland. The building is a voluminous structure with a roof lattice made of wood sourced from within 300 miles of the airport. It features everything from indoor trees (not local pines owing to the need for trees acclimated to indoor, climate-controlled environments) and plants to local shops, a beer hall, and even stadium seating where people can watch and wait for arriving travelers.

The terminal truly does more than just lip service to the idea of anchoring its architecture in Portland and the Pacific Northwest.

But, if we’re being honest, I expected no less from PDX.

Travelers will have a clear line of sight from curbside to the airfield through the terminal once the construction walls come down.

The airport has made a name for itself for its Pacific Northwest vibe. From local fare and shops to the iconic carpet and even llamas, PDX was doing local before local was cool.

PDX has repeatedly ranked among the best airports in the U.S., garnering praise for its cleanliness, ease to use and, you guessed it, local amenities. “There are ample local shopping and food options, there are free local short films, prices are normal, there's local art, a local distillery, live music,” one respondent to Travel + Leisure’s 2019 survey said.

When the construction walls come down on Wednesday, travelers will step from a low-ceilinged, uninspiring if functional lobby that dates to 1958 into a dramatic space with a soaring wood-beamed ceiling and light from the 49 skylights dappling the floor as if through the overstory of a Pacific Northwest forest.

The terminal is the culmination of more than a decade of work to support PDX’s growth. Part of the $2 billion PDXNext suite of projects that also includes two concourse expansions, the terminal is designed to handle roughly 35 million passengers annually. The airport saw 16.5 million passengers last year, or 17% fewer than the 19.9 million it handled in 2019. The latest passenger forecast anticipates a full recovery by 2029 owing to a slower-than-expected return in connecting traffic on hub carrier, Alaska Airlines.

It's a stark contrast between the old and new check-in desks at PDX.