Singapore’s World-Class Changi Airport Is Set To Become A Destination In Its Own Right
Already one of the world’s best and busiest airports, Changi moves closer to its vision of becoming a global aviation and lifestyle hub with the new Terminal 4 to open next month in Singapore.
Welcome To The Future
A centralised double-volume Arrival Hall gives passengers a sense of space in natural light, providing a warm Singapore welcome.Exciting times at Singapore Changi Airport right now, as the long-awaited expansion and redevelopment starts to take shape in the form of the new Terminal 4. Much research, design and funding has gone into delivering a new passenger travel experience which will largely be defined by the innovative use of technology – T4 will be the first terminal at Changi Airport to offer end-to-end Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) for departing passengers.
T4 will introduce self-service options on a large scale for check-in and bag-drop.What that means is that, for travellers, the airport experience will be a whole lot easier. FAST will make use of the very latest facial recognition software, so you can check in at your own convenience, without having to wait for the counters to open. Although just half the size of the existing Terminal 3, Terminal 4 has been cleverly designed to take 16 million passenger movements a year – two-thirds that of T3.
Singapore’s heritage is showcased in retail stores featuring facades of old Peranakan houses.Calling Passengers…
There’s a lot to enjoy in the new Terminal, so keep an eye on that departure board while you’re exploring. New at Changi Airport is the Heritage Zone, designed with the evolving architecture of shophouse facades, so as to provide passengers with a glimpse of Singapore’s unique cultural heritage, while housing more than 80 traditional retail and dining offerings. There’s also an impressive art collection at T4, with an eclectic mix of contemporary works by local and foreign artists.
Relaxing seating areas are set among a charming boulevard of trees at the Departure Boarding Pier.A grand space is something passengers at Changi Airport are accustomed to, and the high ceilings are also a key feature of T4. The skylights and glass walls let in floods of natural light, providing a refreshing daytime experience for travellers as well as an environment in which certain plants and trees thrive. T4 is definitely green, with a boulevard of 160 ficus trees separating the boarding area from the common area at the departure gates.
The towering waterfall called the Rain Vortex will anchor the centre of the Jewel complex and is expected to be the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.Still to come: Jewel, a large scale, lush indoor garden and retail mall, seamlessly connecting Terminals 1, 2 and 3; and Terminal 5, set to be one of the largest terminals in the world, capable of handling 50 million passengers per year in its initial phase.
All images courtesy of Changi Airport Group
