A canopy of 70 majestic trees stands as a calm sentinel, their branches reaching skyward beneath a breathtaking, latticed mass-timber roof. Over 5,000 cascading plants—amidst black walnut, olive, and ficus—weave through the terminal, softening edges, purifying air, and blurring the boundary between indoors and Oregon’s outdoors. Light dances between leaves, and the scent of earth and timber lingers—a forest within a city, a refuge within a journey.
A Terminal Rooted in Place
More than an airport, PDX is a biophilic landscape. Designed with a multidisciplinary team, the terminal’s landscape is a series of sensory zones, guiding travelers through nature.
Traveling Through Wilderness – Groves provide intuitive navigation, where passengers move with the gentle cues of trees and paths.
A Breath Before Security – A grove of deciduous trees calms travelers, offering a place to pause, exhale, and step forward.
The Oregon Market | A Forest Canopy – In the terminal’s heart, hanging planters at varying heights mimic the understory, framing space for gathering, dining, and waiting beneath green.
Recomposure Under the Trees – After security, a space of light and stillness where nature soothes and reorients the journey ahead.
A Streetscape in the Sky – Along promenades, an urban forest of trees and plantings continues the experience, connecting arrival to departure.
Glowing planters, lush greenery, and Oregon-inspired digital artworks transform the terminal into a sanctuary of movement, stillness, and renewal.
The Timber Sky
The terminal’s nine-acre timber roof shelters travelers like a forest canopy. Made from 3.5 million board feet of Oregon-sourced Douglas Fir, it reflects the region’s bond with woodlands and craft. Forty-nine skylights bathe the landscape in natural light, with 60% of illumination drawn from the sky. Daylight shifts across wooden beams, dappling leaves in a changing interplay—a terminal that evolves with the sun.
A Terminal for Generations
Beyond beauty, PDX is built to endure. Sustainable irrigation and stormwater systems support thousands of plants with minimal intervention. Seismically resilient design ensures this forest-in-motion offers shelter for generations. Integrated LED lighting in planters reduces energy use—proof that sustainability and serenity coexist. The rebuilt airport is a landscape visited by millions—nature moving with the world.
An Invitation to Belong
At PDX, the journey is reimagined. The Main Terminal is a gateway, a pause of wonder. It is the scent of trees, the hush of leaves, the quiet of nature in motion. A landscape that holds your departure, welcomes your return, and lingers in memory. In this forest of light and timber, every traveler becomes part of the story.
