After a four-year renovation project, Singapore Changi Airport’s Terminal One (T1) reopens today. The terminal’s exterior and most areas of the interior have a brand new look.
Business Traveller China's Editor, Delia Yin, was at the airport's reopening ceremony (see story here). The following is her report.
Before the refresh, the 30-year-old T1, with a low ceiling and opaque walls, paled in comparison to T3, opened in 2008, and T2, which was renovated in 2006. After the upgrade, however, it has been given a new lease of life.
The low ceiling has been altered. According to Changi Airport Group, the building’s height was a major design limitation. To give the impression of a higher ceiling, most of T1’s third floor was opened up to allow more sense of space. At the same time, huge glass windows have replaced the walls, enabling ample natural light into the terminal. Overall, the terminal looks more spacious and modern. The new glass walls are also more environmentally friendly, as they reduce the need for artificial illumination.
T1 now offers special amenities, including an indoor pool and cactus garden. Creative design has also been introduced to T1, such as the Kinetic Rain sculpture at the departure hall’s entrance, which features electronic water droplets that change every 15 minutes to create different aviation-theme objects, including airplanes, kites and raindrops.
During the renovation, T1’s operation was not disrupted as the project was done in phases. It was essential that Changi Airport functioned as usual, representatives said, due to its huge daily passenger volume and the number of flights coming in and out. The renovated T1 is now better integrated with T2 and T3, and the airport hopes it will bring convenience to passengers while they shop, dine, transit, rest and relax at the airport.
For more information, visit www.changiairport.com.
Delia Yin
