Rose City Market
PDX Airport, Portland, OR
The configuration of the space and material treatments for Rose City Market includes many locally produced products.
Background and Context
Rose City Market is a locally produced food and beverage experience based on the popular Oregon tradition of regional and locally based farmers, cheesemakers, butchers, soda works, wineries, coffee roasters, microbrewers and restauranteurs. From a long-standing broad perspective the idea of locally produced is celebrated in the tradition of Oregon Tilth, a regional association of organic farmers and gardeners in the Pacific Northwest founded in 1974. To celebrate this important connection, space has been allocated within each planned venue for a local fresh produce display.
The Rose City Market concept also dovetails perfectly into Portland’s reputation as home to many independent and small venue food and beverage outlets with over 58 active breweries and 600 food carts and food trucks within city limits.
No food and beverage market would be complete without the central focal point of the Deli. Kenny and Zukes, is an authentic Portland purveyor of the traditional Deli dining experience featuring the most quintessential of Deli foods: smoked Pastrami. Many of the finishes, materials, colors and details of Rose City Market are inspired by Kenny and Zukes, a nationally recognized local establishment.
Design Response
The configuration of the space and material treatments for Rose City Market includes many locally produced products including reclaimed Douglas Fir flooring from Terramai, accent wall tiles from Pratt and Larson and metal bar fronts from Oregon Metal Slitters. The combination of both natural and accent lighting at various heights within each space will enhance the overall look and feel of the venue ensuring a consistent day and nighttime experience.
Our feature lighting element is created with the spirit of Portland’s unofficial motto: “Keeping Portland Weird.” We are introducing a 138” x 68” chandelier in the shape of a Koi, made entirely of interlacing layers of thin translucent wood veneers that conduct light from the center of the fish through the wooden scales.
Although quirky at first glance, the Koi contains a deeper reference to one of the best known international features of Portland, the Japanese Garden. In 1958, Portland established a Sister City relationship with Sapporo Japan. Like the local food movement, the world famous Japanese garden is also a homegrown effort, founded in the early 1960’s by local citizen interest in having better relations with Japan.
Results
Portland’s can-do, self-reliant spirit is evoked in the many details of the Rose City Market, brought to life in a richly conceived and executed retail, food and beverage experience consistent with Portland International Airports Travel + Leisure ranking as the best airport in the United States.