The world’s best airport has just become even more extraordinary with its unveiling of a 40-metre waterfall that cascades from a glass dome down onto the forest floor, and which is the tallest indoor waterfall in the world.
The Jewel complex at Changi Airport in Singapore that houses the waterfall has been designed to be a destination itself for global travellers and locals alike.
The complex has a hotel, restaurants, retail stores, check-in counters, luggage storage, and a forest complete with a towering waterfall, hikes and a maze.
In addition, the domed area is more than 135,000 sqm and has five stories both above and below ground level.
The airport was voted as the best in the world for the 7th consecutive year by over 13 million travelers at the 2019 World Airport Awards. It is also the world’s 7th busiest airport with a different flight being handled every 80 seconds.
The skytrain passes right by the waterfall and travellers walk below it as they explore the complex or make their way to their terminal. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
At night, the waterfall becomes a screen onto which a light and sound show is projected. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
The dome is made of 9,600 glass panels. Rain water is funneled into the oculus and is reused in the building for irrigation and cooling. Here, the glass Canopy Bridge gives a view of the canopy from 23 meters above the forest floor. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
The Valley Forest is home to more than 200 plant species and over 60,000 individual plants. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
Higher up, restaurants and retail stores look out over the central forest and waterfall. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
Hiking trails lead from the ground floor to the Canopy Park on the top floor of the complex. Explore a net over the canopy, mazes and slides. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
The complex is connected to Terminal 1, 2 and 3, the bus terminal and parking facilities. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
The glass dome regulates the temperature of the forest, restaurants and retail stores. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
Although it may seem like a world of its own, it is in the heart of the airport complex. Image: Changi Airport Singapore
Feature Image: Changi Airport.
