Doesn’t one of the best cities in the world deserve the world’s best airport? Singapore’s Changi Airport has been rated by Skytrax as the best airport in the world for nearly a decade, and is home to Singapore Airlines, also ranked among the world’s best.
Singapore’s airport was moved from the centre of the city to a large piece of reclaimed land on the eastern tip of the island in 1981. The airport layout was very efficiently planned, but somewhat uninspiring. However, the terminal buildings are constantly being renewed and has become an ever evolving city-like cluster of unique structures!
Major renewal began in the 2000’s, when the third terminal was built by Skidmore Owings & Merrill. SOM also designed the airport’s light and airy rail station.
In the middle of the airport complex, WOHA Architects designed a stunning tropical garden hotel, which is consistently ranked as the best airport hotel in the world! WOHA recently expanded the hotel with a lego-like extension that was assembled in less than a month.
The original brutalist control tower is one of the few parts of the airport that has remained unchanged. It has become an icon of Singapore, and is even featured on the city-state’s 20 cent coin.
The latest addition to the airport, Jewel Changi Airport, was designed by Moshe Safdie and features a giant glass dome filled with tropical plants and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.
The fourth and latest terminal isn’t the most architecturally impressive, but features lots of greenery within the terminal and smart features such as automatic check in.
The airport is currently undergoing a massive expansion with a third runway and a massive new terminal which is being designed by Heatherwick Studio & Kohn, Pederson Fox. However, construction is currently on hold due to uncertainty caused by pandemic restrictions.
Beyond the amazing architecture, the airport is designed with user experience in mind. This includes a number of large scale artworks, the most compelling of which is Kinetic Rain, the world’s largest kinetic artwork.
Have you been to Changi Airport? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Images by Jonathan Choe unless otherwise stated
