Travel Portland Visitor Center

Travel Portland’s new Visitor Center extends a bold, cheerful “Welcome to Portland!” to visitors and locals alike, offering free resources and curated recommendations in a one-of-a-kind space. Following 2020’s pandemic and civil unrest, as travel dropped and local businesses struggled, it was clear Portland needed a cheerful advocate to share affirming, welcoming new narratives about the city. Envisioned as a catalyst to revitalize downtown and transform the city’s reputation, the Visitor Center is vibrant community hub that celebrates the best Portland has to offer.

The design of the Visitor Center captures the spirit of Travel Portland’s mission to connect people with authentic experiences, showcasing local art, materials, and craftsmanship. Tucked within a historic building that previously survived a fire, the modern design embraces the building’s history: exposed scorched structural wood offers a beautiful complement to the warmth of the Douglas fir used throughout the space. Subtle layers of color, texture, and biophilia evoke Portland’s diverse communities and ecosystems. Slat walls define three distinct areas, providing a sense of intimacy but allowing natural light to filter in. A large mosaic moss wall and extensive murals painted by local artist Nia Musiba add color and texture to evoke the vibrance of Portland.

The Visitor Center is designed to maximize accessibility for visitors using mobility devices. Visual contrasts are amplified to assist visitors with low vision and vision impairments to navigate the space. A variety of furniture ensures that visitors of all ages, abilities, and sizes have plenty of comfortable, flexible seating choices to meet a variety of needs. Custom-designed tables that fold easily into mounted cabinetry provide added flexibility to open the space for events or create more stations and service points to support periods of high foot traffic.

Design: LRS Architects
Design Team: Amalia Mohr, Kelsey Loverro, Jenny Baines, Shane Abuel, Scott Grady
Contractor: Swinerton
Photography: David Papazian