In 2019, Changi Airport was elected by the
World Airport Awards as the world's best airport for the ninth year in a row, a
record for an airport. This 135 700 m2 glass building is located at the east of Singapore. You may have seen the
picture of this 40-meter-tall Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall.
It is the centrepiece of Jewel Changi, a nature-themed entertainment and retail
complex on the landside of the airport and linked to three of its passenger
terminals.
Changi’s construction history
The construction plan began in Changi in June
1975 and Changi’s airport is still in permanent change.
Indeed, the Singapore Changi Airport had a
development policy of always building years ahead of demand to help to avoid
congestion problems common in major airports and maintain high service
standards.
Plans for Terminal 3 were reviewed, resulting
in a new design concept far from the very utilitarian design of the first two
terminals. Topped by a unique roof feature designed by Skidmore, Owings and
Merrill, the expansion construction started in 1999 and finished in 2006.
And finally on October 2017, terminal 4
opened. It’s design and concept are the result of feedback received from
passengers and have won already many awards.
source: metro news
Here is an exhaustive list to explain why
you will pray for your plane to take off late:
- There is a free movie theater playing the last blockbuster 24/7.
- You can find the country’s biggest indoor slide and it is not just for kids !
- You can take a dip in the world only airport outdoor pool
- You can experience free express hand massages and free fragrance consultation.
- You can take a nap in the Snooze Lounge (Changi has been voted the world’s best airport to sleep) that is surrounded by the Sanctuary Garden
- You can take photos and compete with other passengers in game thanks to the Social Tree
Source : Live and let’s fly
Did you know ?
- The airport is entirely carpeted because it’s luxurious but also it absorbs sounds so passengers feel relaxed.
- The ceiling is using is using intelligent lighting which controls the amount of natural light entering the building.
- Concept store like whiskey tasting housethat has 100 different whiskey available for tasting. Many spirits brand decided to launch limited special edition specifically for this airport because they have high end consumers passing through all day but also a lot of different nationalities.
- There are 5 story gardens (called Forest Valley) with more than 200 plant species that need work from 10 plant specialists and 150 gardeners who work 24/7 to ensure excellent standard. As Moshe Safdie said : ? more than any other great city in the world, Singapore is truly a city in nature ? this is the reason why ? Jewel combines two environments, an intense marketplace and a paradise garden, to dramatically assert the idea of the airport as an uplifting and vibrant urban center. ?
Who designed this architectural
jewel ?
The design architects is Multi-award-winning
architect Moshe Safdie. He has explored the essential principles of socially
responsible design with a distinct visual language. His architectural style
includes the use of bold shapes contrasted against integrated green spaces in
large-scale urban projects. He wanted the airport to become a destination by
itself.
Sources :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE2KoqyG6zM
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/moshe-safdie-singapores-jewel-changi-airport