Oregon's Portland International Airport has opened the first phase of its new main terminal.
The $2.15 billion terminal features new check-in areas, wider TSA security screening areas with new equipment, and bigger public spaces -- including a pre-security area with stadium seating.
The new Portland Airport terminal has a locally sourced timber roof with 49 skylights. Photo Credit: Dror Baldinger
Eleven new shops and restaurant -- all local brands -- have opened, with three more slated for this fall.
The terminal was designed as an homage to the Pacific Northwest environment. Its timber roof, sourced from local and regional wood producers, is punctuated by 49 skylights, which offer natural light to some of the airport's 5,000-plus living plants, including full-sized trees.
Sharron van der Meulen, managing partner of the architectural firm ZGF, said the terminal was designed to reduce the stress of travel.
"Travelers are immediately greeted with expansive views to the airfield, abundant natural light, and lush interior landscapes that create a sense of wonder and delight and evoke a walk through a Pacific Northwest forest," she said.
Construction of the million-square-foot Portland terminal began in 2021; 600,000 square feet of the building opened on Wednesday.
The final phase of project is slated for an early 2026 opening. It will include 10 additional restaurants and shops; new airline lounges; waiting areas for arriving passengers; and new escalators, elevators and restrooms.
Since 2020, Portland Airport has also expanded its Concourse E, opened a new Concourse B and opened a rental car center.