Portland International Airport Shows Off Wooden Roof Coming 2022

PORTLAND, OR — For years, Portland International Airport has been ranked as either the best mid-sized airport in the country if not one of the top airports. One of those highlights has always been the iconic carpeting that has appeared in seemingly countless Instagram photos.

Now, the Port of Portland is working on reasons for people to look up as well as down.

On Wednesday, the port showed off its new roof, which is under construction at another location at the airport. The reason they are not building the almost 400,000 square foot wooden roof is that it would cause too much disruption at the airport.

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Instead, they are building it in 20 pieces that will be transported to the terminal and slid into place.

The port says that the roof's design is "inspired by local weaving traditions and crafted from sustainably harvested timber. In fact, every lattice piece will be traceable back to its forest of origin — a love letter to the small families."

Christian Schoewe, one of the architects at ZGF overseeing the project, says that likening the roof to a forest isn't just an analogy but a philosophy that helped guide their design.

"That's what I like about the forest analogy," Schoewe says. "You may feel small next to a towering Douglas fir, but the layers of the forest canopy make you feel at ease."

The new main terminal won't be done until 2025 but the roof should be in place next year. Once done, the airport's 5-year, $2 billion renovation will also include two new concourses, plenty of new shopping and dining options, and plenty of new features – such as hanging gardens and a park within the terminal.