2023 Singapore 4-day tour DAY 1 - Changi Airport
Returning to Malaysia, here's a brief summary of my four-day trip to Singapore. Due to time constraints, I rushed through and only had a superficial understanding, but it's worth recording! The content mainly involves architecture, art, and food, and I accept criticism for my lack of knowledge. First, let me write about my arrival at Changi Airport, where my limited experience was truly shaken!
Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore's shining gem at Changi Airport.
👨🏫 Architect: Moshe Safdie
💰Cost: $1.3 billion USD
🌍 Keywords: technology, garden city, sustainable architecture
1️⃣ Before landing in Singapore, I heard a friend jokingly say that Singapore will become the second Silicon Valley. In Xiang Biao's "Using Oneself as a Method", it is also mentioned that Singapore constantly pays attention to the global and regional situation, constantly changing its perspective...doing this, changing that, striving to embed itself into the world, rather than defining others.
2️⃣ As we all know, the top of the central glass roof of Changi Airport is a circular hole, through which the world's tallest indoor waterfall, officially named HSBC Rain Vortex, cascades down. More than 120 species of plants 🌳 are carefully arranged, trimmed, and planted around the waterfall, and trains between terminals pass through the garden from high above, creating a momentary sensation of being in a forest wonderland. In addition, the entire garden is fragrant (the signs indicate the scent of Shiseido Ultimune), and there are also Disney sculptures embedded to enhance the visitors' sense of participation. In short, the sense of integration with the world is indeed very strong!
3️⃣Within the central garden, there are dense crowds of tourists coming and going, but surprisingly it is not noisy. The rushing water not only covers the noise, but also brings a sense of nature, tranquility and joy, and provides a cooling airflow for the landscape environment. In a country like Singapore, which is rainy, humid, and lacks fresh water, a large amount of collected rainwater ☔️ can be reused in buildings, truly showing how technology can change our lives!
4️⃣️ In China, it is common to see designers integrating buildings into nature, but in Singapore where landscape resources are scarce, the government and designers have been so bold as to create a natural world and bring it into every shop. As someone who has low material desires and dislikes shopping malls, I surprisingly felt a sense of peace and intoxication!
5️⃣️ Like the greenhouses at Gardens by the Bay, the glass roof supporting the waterfall is coated with a special layer that reflects over 70% of light with heat (Visible Light Transmission), ensuring that the entire space remains relatively bright and cool.
6️⃣️ Besides the commercial area on the underground and 4th floor, the top floor (5th floor) is Canopy Park, which has a play area specially designed for children and requires separate tickets. There are trampolines, aerial walkways, hedge mazes and mirror mazes, as well as special installations completed in collaboration with internationally renowned artists.
7️⃣️ In short, if I had to choose a layover destination, I would be more than happy to spend my time at Changi Airport! I found some great dining options at the airport, as well as some pitfalls to avoid, which I will share separately!
8️⃣️ Let's summarize with Safdie's quote - "Jewel weaves together the experience of nature and market, dramatically expressing the idea of the airport as an exciting and vibrant urban center, attracting travelers, tourists, and residents, and echoing Singapore's reputation as a 'city in a garden'."
Text reference: National Geographic documentary "Inside: Jewel Changi Airport" and official website of Safdie Architects.