Much has been made of how the 1980s-era open air car park in front of Terminal 1 has been transformed, over seven years, into a glowing dome of delights. The superlatives are plenty: the world’s tallest indoor waterfall; the Sky Nets, which is the world’s first indoor attraction on such a scale; a mirror maze that is the first of its kind to be built indoors; and a world-class retail space. The architect, Moshe Safdie, spoke about having rejected “obvious ideas” in favour of a “great paradise and mystical garden” that would fit the concept of an airport as “a place of serenity and repose”.
Changi Airport’s crowning asset has drawn admiring crowds and fawning reviews. But its shininess belies the deeper challenges Singapore faces in remaining relevant as a regional hub for business and tourism.
SINGAPORE (Apr 22): By the time Jewel at Changi Airport officially opened for business on April 17, more than half a million people had streamed through its gleaming glass doors, eager to be among the first to experience it.
