Behind the scenes
Peek behind the curtains to meet the cool and creative people defining the future of travel at PDX.
Architect Extraordinaire: Michelle Vo
Published July 10, 2020
When you step into the new Concourse E extension, you’ll immediately notice its striking design — the sweeping walls of windows framing views of Pacific Northwest landscapes and an open floor plan designed with the future of travel in mind. To bring this vision to life, design leader Michelle Vo of Hennebery Eddy has spent the past few years managing a diverse team of architects and engineers. We sat down with her to hear a few of the highlights from this milestone PDX project.
You can count Michelle among the carpet’s biggest fans. “I love that PDX is a carpeted airport. Not just because I was involved in the carpet replacement, but it makes it feel like you've come home when you land. And not just because it's carpet and it's quiet and it's familiar for people, but also because the color of the carpet is somewhat like flying into the airport — flying over the green state of Oregon.”
She loves a good challenge. And this project presented many. “One of the challenges about working at the airport is that things need to keep running 24/7. You have a very short window of time each day for construction activities that might interrupt daily operations — like midnight until maybe 4 a.m. That means our designs need to consider not only those interruptions but also the layers and layers of technical things that are happening on all fronts. It’s super complicated, which I love.”
Architects got inspired by the many PDX views. “We were taking advantage of opportunities in every direction — the opportunity to view the roadway coming into the airport, the opportunity to view Mt. Hood at the east end, the opportunity to have a more open feeling.”
The scope of the project required a big community to pull off. “I think what makes Concourse E different from other projects I've worked on is its scale. Not just that it's bigger, but also its complexity. That means we were able to work with all of these different experts — around 40 different subcontractors and specialists. It’s a different experience when you’re able to turn to someone who can help you solve a very specific technical problem.”
Success is all about pushing your limits. “I’m driven by trying to achieve something that I'm not 100% sure I can achieve. And in that way, I tend to go pretty hard. Like I'm shooting for 105% because I'm not even sure I can get to 100, so I've got to shoot high. And you know, when it happens and comes together, it just feels so good.”
The flexible interior spaces were designed with the future of travel in mind — and to give you plenty of comfortable spots to recharge before your next flight.
Two permanent installations from acclaimed contemporary artist Jacob Hashimoto hang like clouds above the concourse’s common areas.
Shops and restaurants are clustered together like city blocks, with a pedestrian-friendly scale and lots of room to spread out.
Artist Jacob Hashimoto’s canopy of kite-like discs reflects the atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest, with locally inspired graphics incorporated throughout.
Sky-high windows fill the interior with daylight while maximizing the concourse extension’s energy efficiency.
At the east end of the concourse, a wall of windows opens up this epic view of Mt. Hood, where you’ll definitely want to pose for a photo before takeoff.
The Concourse E extension project is the dedicated home for Southwest Airlines at PDX, with six new gates.
Remember the view of Mt. Hood on Concourse E? It’s coming back, brighter than ever.
Tillamook’s menu includes the best of the classics with fried cheese curds and a signature grilled cheese.
Calliope takes its name from one of Oregon’s native hummingbirds and showcases creative and playful keepsakes.
Grab your favorite book, magazine or newspaper at Your Northwest Travel Mart.
Remember the feeling of walking through an Oregon forest for the first time?
That feeling inspired the design of the new Concourse B.
An early movement flow study for the new Concourse B.
The new Concourse B has great exposure to southern light.
Interior rendering for the new Concourse B.
The new Concourse B has Pacific Northwest touches like warm wood panels and indoor greenery.
Exterior rendering of the new Concourse B.
The six new ground loading gates for Alaska Airlines are bigger and brighter.
Our new rental car center opens in 2021.
Movable plants and furniture make the space flexible.
When the new rental car center opens in 2021, you won’t need a shuttle to pick up your car.
Interior acoustical materials help reduce noise.
The new facility also provides more long-term parking, new office spaces, and a new and relocated parking toll plaza building.
A new exit plaza opened in November 2019.
Every design decision we make is about keeping the heart and soul of PDX intact. You’ll see homages to all the things you love about our city and region in the new airport designs.
The new terminal’s wooden roof (as seen in this close-up rendering, right) might remind you of daylight filtering through forest canopies.
You’ll notice subtle nods to Pacific Northwest elements throughout the new space. The ripples and currents of our pristine rivers, for example, are inspiring the undulating flow of the wooden roof, as depicted in this architectural model (right).
We’re filling the new main terminal with a lot of Portland love — both in terms of regionally sourced materials and, well, doughnuts. (C’mon, what would PDX be without doughnuts?)
You’ll see a scene something like this when you enter the more spacious ticket lobby at PDX. This early architectural rendering previews the vision for the iconic wooden roof — inspired by Pacific Northwest nature, craft and our partly sunny skies.
Natural light, living trees and native Oregon foliage might give you the feeling of walking through a park, as this early architectural rendering shows.
Expanding the heart of the airport creates more spaces for the local shops and restaurants you love. Architects are thoughtfully planning these public spaces to resemble the human-friendly scale of your favorite Portland neighborhoods.