After more than four years of construction, the Jewel Changi Airport project is complete! The Jewel Changi Airport project was being led by Safdie Architects. The building is quite mesmerizing and features an indoor forest along with the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The building will open to
The project features 135,700 square meters covering building known as the Jewel. This is the new centerpiece of what was known as Changi Airport in Singapore. The building has been made from steel and glass. It features a donut-shaped roof that measures in at 650 feet at the widest point. High-quality glazing allows for natural light to make its way while keeping the effects of the heat outside of the building. Proper testing was carried out to make sure that the glass doesn’t glare and cause problems for the air traffic controllers and pilots.
The most mention-worthy feature of the Jewel Changi Airport is the waterfall. It is a 40 meter tall HSBC Rain Vortex that can channel rainwater through the central oculus located on the roof at up to 10,000 gallons per minute when it’s raining heavily. The rainwater doesn’t go to waste but is used for building services and irrigation and also for cooling the building’s interior.
Shiseido Forest Valley is also part of the Jewel Changi Airport and offers smaller waterfalls along with walking trails and seating areas. The retail marketplace spans five levels. The building also features the Canopy Park that houses a suspended glass bottom bridge and one of the world’s biggest net walks that is suspended about 25 meters above the ground.
The Jewel houses 2,000 trees and palms and more than 100,000 shrubs that have been procured from Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Spain, and the USA. Jeremy Yeo, Head of User Experience, Jewel Changi Airport, said, ‘When we were choosing the plants to feature in Jewel, we had to consider different criteria including aesthetics and their ability to thrive within the complex given its light levels, temperature and humidity conditions. Before they were transported to Singapore, many of the trees had to be pruned to fit into containers for sea freight. Once they arrived in Singapore, they were nursed back to health at an off-site nursery and acclimatized to Singapore’s tropical weather. The procurement of the trees took approximately nine months and another two years were given for the trees to be nursed locally. This process was critical in ensuring that the plants flourish in the climate within Jewel’s indoor environment.’
Other firms involved in the project included BuroHappold Engineering, Atelier Ten, RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, WET, and Peter Walker and Partners.
