Jewel Changi Airport opened its doors on the 18th of October 2019, transforming the very definition of what an airport could be. Before this date, Changi Airport was already famous for its gardens and movie theaters, but this new structure turned the transit hub into a primary destination in its own right. The project was not merely an expansion of Terminal 1 but a complete reimagining of the passenger experience, designed to ensure Changi remained a major aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region. The vision originated in a 2013 National Day Rally speech by then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who called for doubling the airport's capacity by the mid-2020s and creating new opportunities for Singaporeans. The result was a 1.7 billion Singapore dollar complex that required no government funds or taxpayer money, a rare feat for a project of this magnitude involving state-owned entities like Changi Airport Group and CapitaLand. The building stands as a toroidal glass-and-steel dome, visible from miles away at night, glowing like a beacon that draws both travelers and locals into its heart.
A Forest Grows Inside A Dome
The heart of the complex is the Forest Valley, an indoor garden spanning five stories and covering an area of 14,000 square meters. This space houses approximately 3,000 trees and 60,000 shrubs representing 120 species from high-altitude tropical forests around the world. The landscape architecture was led by PWP Landscape Architecture, a firm that also co-designed the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City. The design process involved creating a microclimate that could sustain these plants while managing the humidity generated by the adjacent waterfall. The valley serves as a green lung for the building, connecting the ground floor to the upper levels through terraced gardens. Visitors walk through this lush environment, surrounded by nature that feels both wild and meticulously curated. The integration of the forest into the airport terminal was intended to provide an uplifting experience, blending the traditional mall concept with nature, culture, and recreation. This approach aimed to create a place where people of Singapore could interact with people of the world, turning a transit point into a community space.The World's Tallest Indoor Waterfall
Dominating the center of the Forest Valley is the Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall standing at 46 meters high. Water is pumped to the roof and freefalls through a round hole at a rate of up to 14,000 liters per minute into a basement-level pool. The design was engineered by WET Design, the same firm behind the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. To prevent excess humidity from affecting the building, the waterfall's flow alternates between cascades and trickles, reducing air turbulence. The toroid-shaped roof features more than 9,000 pieces of glass spanning 1.2 kilometers, with a sloped oculus acting as the mouth of the waterfall. At night, the circular walls of the waterfall become a 360-degree stage for a light-and-sound show. The design process included testing a one-fifth-scale model and a full-size partial prototype to ensure the engineering held up. The Changi Airport Skytrain passes above ground near the waterfall, allowing passengers airside to see the Vortex and the Jewel itself, making the water feature a constant visual anchor for travelers.