Airport's Jewel a must-visit attraction

SINGAPORE - Changi Airport's upcoming mixed-use development will host aviation- and travel-related facilities, a wide range of retail offerings and unique leisure attractions for both visitors and Singaporeans.

Boasting an iconic glass-and-steel facade, a large-scale, lush indoor garden and a waterfall, the project - codenamed Project Jewel - will also serve as a node linking the three main terminals, to enhance connectivity and accessibility.

In a statement announcing its concept plans yesterday, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said it is working with shopping-mall developer CapitaMalls Asia on the concept and plans for the project.

The two parties are also exploring a partnership to develop and manage Project Jewel when it is completed.

Revealed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, the development will be built on the 3.5ha plot of land where the existing Terminal 1 carpark is.

The new complex, which is expected to be completed by 2018, will enable Changi Aiport to "capture tourism mindshare and boost Singapore's appeal strongly as a stopover point for global travellers", said the statement.

It will be designed by a team led by Israel-born architect Moshe Safdie, who was behind the design of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort.

CAG's chief executive, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, said: "For tourists, we envisage Project Jewel as a must-visit Singapore attraction, located strategically at the doorstep of one of the world's busiest air hubs."

Terminal 1 will be expanded as part of the redevelopment, with more space for the arrival hall, baggage-claim areas and taxi bays.

The enhancements will increase the terminal's passenger- handling capacity to 24 million passengers annually, from the current 18 million.

There are also plans for a central communal facility for the 32,000-strong airport community to come together for joint activities, such as training.

Project Jewel joins the airport's other infrastructure projects, such as Terminal 4, which is in the final stages of planning. Its construction, at the former Budget Terminal site, is expected to begin by the year end.

When completed, Project Jewel, along with Terminal 4, will boost Changi Airport's capacity to 85 million passengers a year, up from the current 66 million.

vbarker@sph.com.sg

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