The Jewel will glitter with more than 9,600 spectacular pieces of glass!
Just last week, our airport pulled off a five-year winning streak, as it is named the world’s best airport. Frequent travellers would realise how other airports pales in comparison to ours – perhaps evident in how Singaporeans frequent Changi Airport just like any other shopping malls.
With Project Jewel, Changi aims to build an iconic development that boosts Singapore’s positioning as a more attractive air hub and destination – since being the world’s best is clearly not good enough. It’s mainly a commercial building that will house about 300 shops and food and beverage outlets.
Save the hassle of going into town, the Jewel will probably be enough for you to do some serious retail therapy while waiting for your flight or transit. While the jury’s still not out on whether this new project is able to lure travellers to connect at Changi instead of others, we are sure those who visit will be awed by its scale and beauty.
The $1.7 billion dollar commercial development will have 10 storeys with half of it underground. It is a hefty sum, but the airport sees it as a necessary cost to stay ahead in the race for a premier air hub status.
The project reached its halfway mark, but its facade and work inside will only be completed by the fourth quarter of next year.
Once completed, the Jewel will glitter with more than 9,600 spectacular pieces of glass, all imported from the United States. Pieced together to form an enclosed glass, bio-dome complex. Some of its highlights include a 40-metre indoor waterfall and a garden spanning over 5 storeys. Think Gardens By The Bay, but shopping mall style.
Jewel will only be directly connected to Terminal 1 and the other 2 terminals via air-conditioned bridges.
Our airport already has everything – from a rooftop swimming pool, a butterfly garden to even movie theaters. With the opening of Jewel in 2019, perhaps we would be tempted to travel all the way to Changi just for this amazing all-in-one building, even when we are not traveling out of Singapore.
