We already know the ZGF-designed expansion of the main terminal at Portland International Airport (PDX) made a very cool airport even cooler.
Now the amenities and features in the new terminal space, most notably the 9-acre mass timber roof, have inspired a fun rap video.
“‘PDX (Wooden Roof),” described in a press release as “the first and only rap video about the Portland International Airport’s mass timber roof,” debuted in April at a state travel conference held in Portland and is an original collaboration between DJ Avelanche, The Mayoress, Mike Likes Science, and Karma Rivera.
The video is joyous and fun. It shows off so many of the great new PDX Airport features, including the beloved PDX Carpet. And it is, hands down, the best love song to an airport and an airport roof ever.
Stuck at the Airport declares this The Airport Amenity of the Week.
Everyone loves the greenery, the 9-acre mass timber roof, outposts of beloved local shops and restaurants, the comfy lounging spots sporting bits of the famed PDX carpet and the fact that the coolest new amenities are pre-security.
Now there’s one more reason to make a beeline to PDX even if you’re not flying.
PDX now has a speakeasy bar, called Aurora, hidden inside Loyal Legion, the pre-security beer hall on the mezzanine level.
The celestial-inspired bar is named after the Roman goddess of dawn and was designed by Portland-based ELK Collective.
And rather than being speakeasy-dark, Aurora has a bright, art-deco interior, technicolor window treatments and west-facing windows offering views of the runway and Portland sunsets.
The menu includes local beers and wine and shareable small plates as a well as a creative and very reaonably priced cocktail menu with creative pours such as the Aurora Sour (RIttenhouse Rye, Midori, lemon, egg white, red wine float), Diamond Tooth (Haku vodka, yuzu, coconut, lemon) and Hot Soup (Wild Turkey, bone broth, sesame, green onion tincture).
Want to get into the PDX speakeasy?
The entrance to the Aurora speakeasy at PDX airport is in the Loyal Legion beer hall space, on the pre-security mezzanine level, between the main bar and the restrooms. Look for the words “Curiosity Opens the Door” next to the unmarked entrance.
Hours are 4-8pm Monday through Friday, though airport officials say those hours may expand as the summer travel season picks up.
The password to get in?
No password is required. According to our insider at PDX airport, “Guests only have to approach the bar team and ask a question to receive the access code,” because… ‘Curiosity Opens the Door.’
So we fixed that with a quick visit to see how construction is going on the new roof and other spaces, do some shopping, and get a shoe selfie with the terminal’s one remaining patch of old PDX carpet.
A full story will follow, but here are a few some snaps from a 9,000-step hike through the PDX Airport.
The New Roof
A new 9-acre mass timber roof has been built off-site and will be put in place over the existing terminal and a terminal extension in giant pieces. The first piece of the roof has just been put in place.
The Last Patch of Carpet
The old carpet pattern at PDX has gained iconic status. A new patch is promised for someplace in the new main terminal. But until then, the only place to see and snap a selfie with a remnant of the old rug is in the tiny ‘listening room’ at the back of Tender Loving Empire’s store on Concourse E, near Gate E5.
Shopping
We didn’t get to do all the shopping we’d planned. But were were delighted to see the great sticker selection at the Made in Oregon shop on Concourse C.
And at the Tillamook Market on Concourse E we spotted ice-cream from Oregon’s famed Tillamook Creamery as well as Tillamook Cheese Curds, which are only only sold here, at the creamery out in Tillamook (86 miles from the airport) and online.
Mattson’s scale replica of Portland’s St. John’s Bridge is made with about 120,000 LEGO pieces and is 4-feet-tall, 2-feet-wide, and 32-feet-long. It is built to scale with one LEGO “Stud” equaling 1 foot.
The only part that isn’t made of LEGO pieces is the bridge suspension, which is made of fishing line.
Mattson’s LEGO version of the Portland’s St. Johns Bridge is in the Concourse DE display case through July 2020 as part of the PDX Rotating Art Program, which shared these images.
Here’s what the real St. John’s bridge looks like. The steel suspension bridge is the tallest bridge in Portland and spans the Willamette River in Portland.
Credit: Cacophony, via Wikimedia.
This isn’t the first LEGO creation Erik Mattson has shared with travelers passing through Portland International Airport. His 80,000-piece LEGO sculpture of Oregon’s iconic Multnomah Falls was on display in 2018.
Book lovers everywhere celebrate National Book Lovers Day on August 9.
Traveling and books go together. And one element of travel we’re missing is the pleasure of buying a book at the airport and reading it cover to cover on a long flight.
Although some may be closed temporarily due to health concerns, there are full-fledged bookstores we seek out at airports.
Sometimes we make sure to arrive early or book long layovers to make sure we have time to browse.
But we’re confident travelers will still be able to find something great to read in airport bookshops for flights in the future.
So, to mark National Book Lovers Day today, we’re imagining a visit to Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the days when it was home to both a library and a reading room.
Do you have a favorite airport bookstore or book swap? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
