Changi celebrates SG50 with nature's bounty

Changi celebrates SG50 with nature's bounty

It took more than 700 plants, about 7,000 LED lights and 40-man hours for Changi Airport to create a larger-than-life topiary map of Singapore.

The display at Terminal 2 has another 1,000 plants and flowers at its base, adorned by a mirrored sculpture of the number "50".

A lighted crescent moon and five stars pay homage to Singapore's national flag.

Centred around the theme "Changi, I'm Home", the topiary map is the key highlight of Changi Airport's celebrations for Singapore's 50th birthday, said the airport at a media preview yesterday.

Another five giant topiary displays of a durian, trishaw, bumboat, Singa the Lion and an orchid will be showcased in the public areas across all three terminals.

The topiary displays are among the 50 exhibits that will take visitors and travellers down memory lane and also give them a glimpse of the future.

For the first time, the public will be able to view models of the future T4 which will open in 2017 and the Jewel - a passenger services- cum-retail structure - which is slated for a 2018 launch.

Singaporeans and permanent residents are also invited to share their memories of the airport through an online photo-sharing contest with details at www.changiairport.com/SG50.

A video, I'm Home, has also been released to showcase how Changi Airport makes passengers and visitors feel like it is home, said Mr Jayson Goh, Changi's senior vice-president (airport operations management) and chairman of the SG50 organising committee.

As part of its SG50 celebrations, Changi Airport Group will also increase its contribution to fund programmes for disadvantaged youth through the more than 30 donation boxes across the airport that travellers have been contributing to.

This year, Changi Foundation - the airport's charity arm - will give $5 instead of $1 for every dollar dropped into the donation boxes. Last year, about $200,000 was collected.

Mr Goh said: "As Singapore's gateway to the world, Changi Airport has been part and parcel of Singaporeans' lives. Over the years, many have amassed fond memories of the airport and therefore it is only befitting for us to join hands with them to celebrate this important milestone."

At the airport yesterday, a steady stream of people were posing for pictures in front of the topiary of the Singapore map.

Indian national A. Gupta, 55, said: "There is always something new and interesting to see at this airport. Good for photos."

 


This article was first published on Feb 18, 2015.
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