Changi Airport has started construction of a spectacular project called Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) – a mixed-use complex featuring attractions, retail offerings, a hotel and facilities for airport operations.
Being built in front of the Terminal 1 (T1) it is strategically located in the heart of the airport.
The airport says that Jewel is envisaged to be a world-class lifestyle destination that will boost Singapore’s appeal as a stopover point for travellers.
The ground breaking ceremony also marked the commencement of expansion works for T1, which will be carried out alongside the construction of the Jewel complex.
The redevelopment of the 3.5 hectare site at T1, formerly an open-air car park, allows the airport to expand the terminal’s footprint, increasing T1’s passenger handling capacity to 24 million passengers per annum from the current 17.7 million.
Jewel features a glass and steel façade that will be a visually stunning addition to the airport landscape. The complex – scheduled for completion by end of 2018 – will have five storeys above ground and five basement storeys, covering a total gross floor area of about 134,000 square metres.
The airport said that in line with Singapore’s reputation as a garden city, Jewel will house one of the largest indoor collections of plants in Singapore – with about 22,000sqm of space dedicated to landscaping throughout the complex.
One of Jewel’s centrepiece attractions will be the Forest Valley, a huge five-storey garden filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs.
There will be four different Gateway Gardens located at the complex, where every garden will feature unique landscaping elements.
The other centrepiece of Jewel will be a 40-metre high Rain Vortex, expected to be the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
Located at the central core of the complex, it is expected to captivate visitors. At night fall, the Rain Vortex will transform into a Light and Sound show with special lighting effects.
To strengthen Changi Airport’s appeal as a transit hub, there will be facilities in Jewel to enhance the passengers’ journey. The complex will house an integrated multi-modal transport lounge offering dedicated services for fly-cruise and fly-coach passengers, such as ticketing, issuance of boarding passes and baggage transfer services.
These will allow Changi to leverage new opportunities such as the growth of Singapore as a regional cruise centre. In addition, early check-in facilities in Jewel will enable passengers to check-in for their flights and deposit their luggage ahead of the regular check-in timings – providing them with added convenience.
Changi Airport is the world’s sixth busiest airport for international traffic. It served a record 53.7 million passengers from around the globe in 2013.
More than 350 retail stores and 120 food and beverage outlets are situated across three terminals to cater to passengers and visitors.
With over 100 airlines providing connectivity to 300 cities worldwide, Changi Airport handles about 6,400 flights every week, or about one every 90 seconds.
