Jewel Changi Airport

Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) is a mixed-use development at Changi Airport in Singapore, scheduled to open in 2019. It will include gardens and attractions, a hotel, aviation facilities and 300 retail and dining facilities. The complex covers a total gross floor area of 134,000 square metres (sqm), spanning 10 storeys – five storeys above-ground and five basement storeys. Attractions will include the Rain Vortex, the world’s largest indoor waterfall; the Forest Valley, an indoor garden spanning five storeys; and Canopy Park at the topmost level, featuring gardens and leisure facilities.

Conception
The complex was built with a strategic intent to improve the competitive position of Changi Airport as against rivals such as Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Jewel was first mentioned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech in 2013. He announced the plan to build Jewel as part of Changi Airport’s long-term plans to double its current capacity and “create many more opportunities for Singapore”.

Built over the former open-air car park in front of Changi Airport Terminal 1, the completion of Jewel in 2019 will see the expansion of Terminal 1’s arrival hall and baggage claim areas by 70%. Terminal 1’s handling capacity will also increase from 21 to 24 million passengers a year.

Design and development
Jewel’s glass-and-steel façade is designed by a consortium of architects, led by Moshe Safdie, who also designed Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, National Gallery of Canada and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The landscape architect is Peter Walker & Partners, who collaborated with Safdie on Marina Bay Sands, and also designed National 9-11 Memorial, Barangaroo Park, among others. Jewel is developed by Jewel Changi Airport Trustee Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Changi Airport Group (CAG), manager of Singapore Changi Airport, and CapitaLand, through its wholly owned shopping mall business, CapitaLand Mall Asia. It has been announced that the construction of Jewel will cost S$1.7 billion.

Jewel is designed to combine a marketplace and an urban park. “The component of the traditional mall is combined with the experience of nature, culture, education and recreation, aiming to provide an uplifting experience. By drawing both visitors and local residents alike, we aim to create a place where the people of Singapore interact with the people of the world,” said Moshe Safdie, the lead architect.

The glass panels of the dome are framed in steel which rests on a complex latticework, evoking the appearance of traditional glass conservatories. At night, the glowing dome will be visible from all surrounding areas.

Forest Valley
Forest Valley, five storeys tall, will house 3,000 trees and one of Singapore’s largest indoor collections of plants.

Rain Vortex
The centrally located Rain Vortex will be the world’s largest indoor waterfall, standing at 40 metres high. At night, the Rain Vortex will become a stage for a light-and-sound show curated by water feature design firm WET Design.

Canopy Park
At the topmost level of Jewel, the 14,000 sq m Canopy Park will house recreation and leisure attractions. . About half of the total landscaping will be hosted at Canopy Park, including two gardens: Topiary Walk and Petal Garden. The Topiary Walk will feature animal-shaped topiaries at every corner, while the Petal Garden will have seasonal floral displays.

The Canopy Plaza, where the food and beverage outlets will be located, will also have an events space big enough for 1,000 people.

Sky Nets
The Sky Nets provide children's play facilities, including a Bouncing Net and a Walking Net. The Bouncing Net will be 250 metres long, suspended 8 metres above ground at its highest point. A separate 50-metre long Walking Net will enable visitors to look down 25 metres to Jewel’s Level 1. The Sky Nets are the work of designers Thomas Ferwagner from Germany and Cedric Chavaud from France.

Canopy Mazes
Canopy Mazes are designed by Adrian Fisher, founder and chairman of Adrian Fisher Design, who has created over 600 mazes globally. They comprise two mazes, situated at the eastern end of the Jewel complex: Hedge Maze and Mirror Maze. The Hedge Maze will be Singapore’s largest with hedge walls standing at 1.8m high. This maze features gates that can be pushed within that will change the path of the maze. It ends at an elevated watch tower that offers a bird's-eye view of the entire maze. The Mirror Maze will be located under the dome with plants branching across the top of the maze.

Discovery Slides
Designed to be both an art sculpture and a play piece, the Discover Slides feature four integrated slides: two tube slides and two sliding surfaces. The entire structure will sit at an incline, 3m high on one end, and close to 7m on the other, and will enable visitors to view the Forest Valley and the Rain Vortex. The Discovery Slides are designed by Carve in the Netherlands and built by Playpoint in Singapore.

Canopy Bridge
The Canopy Bridge is suspended 23 metres above ground and will offer a view of the Rain Vortex. At 50 metres long, the Canopy Bridge will also have glass panel flooring in the centre section that offers a view through to level 1 of Jewel.

Foggy Bowls
Designed by The Exploratorium, in San Francisco, the key feature of this attraction is four concave bowls with depths of between 30cm and 65cm, for young children to jump in while mist is released to create an illusion of playing among clouds.

YOTELAIR Changi Airport
A 130-room hotel will be based within Jewel and will be operated by international hotel brand, YOTEL.

Aviation Facilities
The complex will also house an ‘integrated multi-modal transport lounge’ which integrates ticketing, boarding pass collection and baggage transfer service within one location. Early check-in facilities will also allow passengers to check-in and drop off luggage ahead of regular check-in times. There will be dedicated facilities for fly-cruise and fly-coach passengers.

Access
Jewel is directly connected to Terminal 1 and can be accessed from both Terminal 2 and 3 via air-conditioned pedestrian bridges.

Awards
Jewel Changi Airport was accorded the 2016 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum, an international museum of architecture and design.