# Inside Singapore Changi Airport's New "Jewel," Home to the World's Tallest Indoor Waterfall > Discover what makes Changi Airport's new Jewel complex in Singapore so remarkable: 135,700 sq m, a striking doughnut shape, and the world's tallest indoor waterfall. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/aeroport-chanhi-vodospad/ - Language: en - Published: 2023-04-09 - Categories: Leisure, Restaurants, Singapore, Food & Drinks, Relaxation --- After four years of construction and nonstop media coverage, Singapore's long-awaited Jewel Changi Airport has officially opened. It's a multi-use complex spanning 135,700 square meters (about 1.46 million square feet) with a striking doughnut-shaped exterior framed in steel and glass, designed to link three of Changi Airport's four terminals. But above all, the April 17 opening confirms a long-held suspicion: yes, the "world's best airport" has become even better, and it will most likely hold on to its top Skytrax ranking in the near future, a spot it has occupied for the past seven years. Built for 1.7 billion Singapore dollars (about 1.25 billion US dollars) to a design by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, Jewel has 10 floors: five above ground and five below. Its main attraction is the 40-meter-tall (about 130 feet) HSBC Rain Vortex, which cascades through a huge oculus at the center of Jewel and is billed as the world's tallest indoor waterfall. It's a dramatic sight, usually heard before it's seen, as travelers emerge from the shops and dining areas that ring Jewel's outer sections and head toward the center, where they're met by the thundering sound of a waterfall that seems to fall straight from the sky. ## So what exactly is Jewel? With more than 280 retail and food-and-beverage outlets, Jewel Changi Airport could easily be written off as a beautiful shopping mall packed with impressive greenery that simply happens to be connected to an airport. After all, it isn't an airport terminal: there are no boarding gates or arrival halls, and anyone can visit. But Changi's new addition serves travelers in plenty of ways. On top of connecting Terminals 1, 2 and 3 (passengers heading to and from Terminal 4 need to take a shuttle bus), it offers early check-in services and baggage storage, along with the 130-room YOTELAIR Singapore Changi Airport hotel. There's also the Changi Lounge, created alongside a new intermodal transfer service that improves air-and-sea connectivity for cruise passengers. Beyond the expected conveniences, such as free Wi-Fi, Jewel offers a few thoughtful touches, like free 12-hour luggage lockers. For travelers stuck at Changi during a long layover, there's also plenty of entertainment, including an 11-screen IMAX cinema. Jewel's Shiseido Forest Valley is a four-story garden with walking trails set among more than 235,000 square feet of landscaping, wrapped around the Rain Vortex waterfall. "Rainwater is collected and becomes part of the Vortex waterfall," Jason Goh, managing director of airport operations management at Changi Airport Group, told Travel. "We can actually control the flow volume. Below the vortex we have tanks to collect the rainwater so we can recycle it. When there's excess rainwater, it can be used to water the plants in the Forest Valley." The Skytrain that links Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at Changi runs through the center of the Jewel, past the Vortex, adding to the photogenic appeal. On the top floor is the 14,000-square-meter Canopy Park, home to several restaurants and themed gardens. While some sections are already open, work here is still ongoing. ## From car park to architectural paradise ![](/storage/image/prev/airport-singa-2-1024x684.jpg) The story behind Jewel is essentially Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" in reverse. Changi Airport Group turned a car park into an indoor paradise, inspired by Singapore's reputation as a "city in a garden." "Back in 2010 we were looking at expanding Terminal 1's capacity and decided that an open-air car park could become a new integrated complex," Goh says. That car park was transformed into the stunning space that now stands in its place. It's a marvel for anyone who has followed Jewel Changi's development since 2013, when news of the airport's expansion first emerged, back when it was known simply as "Project Jewel." Given that the project's architect is Moshe Safdie, who by then had already made his name designing another Singaporean icon, Marina Bay Sands, expectations were high that he would create an equally impressive building. "I wanted to explore a new kind of urban space, a space you go to as a given, because you need to shop, because you're flying somewhere, and at the same time it's a garden, a place that says, 'Let's rethink what public space is, let's rethink what shopping is,'" Safdie said in an interview with Travel last year. "I think one of the reasons \[we won the competition\] was that the other proposals looked like malls and felt like malls, while this one isn't experienced as a mall, because it's a new kind of experience. It makes us rethink what urban centers can be if we broaden our thinking." ## A place for locals too ![](/storage/image/prev/airport-singa-3-1024x677.jpg) In most cities, a trip to the airport isn't something people would call "fun," beyond the excitement of knowing you're about to board a plane to go on vacation or to pick up a loved one. In Singapore, however, the airport is just a 30-minute drive from the central business district, which makes it easy for locals to drop by regularly for a meal or a movie. Changi Airport Group is betting on exactly that, and many executives say they expect it to become a popular spot among Singapore residents. "I think the opening of Jewel is generating a lot of buzz among locals too, and we'll do everything we can to deepen that buzz," Goh says. "Singapore is a small city, so lots of locals come to the airport to spend their weekends here. They come to study, they come on dates. What's more, we're always getting requests from local residents who want to take their wedding photos here." As for the offerings that might draw locals in, Jewel features several Singapore firsts in food, drink and retail. Among them are the American burger chain Shake Shack, Britain's Lobster & Burger, and the world's first Pokemon Center outside Japan. ## What's next for Changi? For the "world's best airport" to stay ahead of its rivals, there's no time to sit back and bask in the watery glow of the Vortex as thousands of visitors begin to flood Jewel's spaces. Changi Airport is currently the seventh-busiest for international traffic in the world; in 2018 a record 65.6 million passengers passed through its four terminals, according to the airport's latest figures. It connects to more than 400 cities worldwide and serves over 100 airlines, with a plane taking off or landing every 80 seconds. According to the airport, passenger numbers have almost doubled over the past 10 years, so the airport keeps a constant focus on growth. Planning is currently underway for the enormous Terminal 5, roughly the size of all four existing terminals combined, with an opening expected sometime after 2030. Starting late this year, Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 2 will undergo a five-year expansion project that will include a redesign of the departure check-in hall and the transit area. "With the added capacity in Terminal 2, Changi Airport's total capacity will reach 90 million passengers a year, and with Terminal 5 we plan to add another 50 million passengers a year," Goh says. "So by 2030, if all goes to plan, Changi Airport's total capacity will be around 140 million passengers a year."