Portland Design

London based Portland Design was founded in 1987.

Specialising in retail design and the supporting disciplines including branding, communication graphics and wayfinding, they are probably best known for their work in the airport sector, having worked with Heathrow Terminal 2, Hamburg, Vienna, Paris and Bangalore airports amongst others.

For the first ‘Johnnie Walker House’ in Europe at Schiphol Airport, Portland created a concept which takes the brand back to its roots. Featuring copper, water, barley, peat and oak in its design, it immerses travelers in a ‘part gallery, part museum’ experience, which encapsulates the rich provenance and heritage of the brand. The earthy colours of the materials and the lighting provide a decadent warm ambience, which can be felt in the beautiful art deco bar upstairs and throughout the space. And we love their larger than life depiction of the striding man, which epitomises the Johnnie Walker brand.

Working with Aelia Duty Free at London Luton Airport there is a distinct focus on iconic London brands. Portland created an energetic space, with ceiling modeled on the Union Jack flag at its core and areas dedicated to testing and seasonal promotions around the perimeter.

At Aelia’s Auckland Airport, ‘ACE’ (Automated Collections Experience) offers customers something quite different, with its robotic ‘click and collect’ service

It not only provides a theatrical centerpiece, which is both functional and fun, it also creates emotional engagement with customers. It is in this dynamic relationship between a brand or retailer and its customers where much of Portland’s design thinking lies.

In 2015 Portland was bought out by the US architectural practice Perkins+Wills, with 24 international offices this can only broaden the opportunities for Portland, and Ibrahim Ibrahim who has been with the consultancy since 2000, remains firmly at its helm.