Once simply catering to arriving and departing passengers, Singapore Changi Airport now offers much more than just air travel.
Singapore Changi Airport remains one of Asia’s largest transportation hubs. Yet, since October 2019, a particular tourist attraction on the airport site has been attracting almost 300,000 visitors per day to wander in the marvels on offer within its iconically designed structure. Let’s take a closer look at ‘Jewel’ – the groundbreaking initiative unlike almost any other found at an airport worldwide.
A new concept for improving airport appeal-
As we all know, many airport terminals have taken on the appearance of retail centers in recent years – seemingly preferring to sell things to people who never knew they needed them rather than get them to where they need to be as quickly and efficiently as possible.
That said, some airports are pushing the boundaries in what is possible to attract passengers through the doors – more space, better lounges, shorter queues, and friendlier staff. However, Singapore Changi Airport has gone one step beyond this by opening its doors to Jewel in 2019.
Jewel Changi Airport (also known simply as ‘Jewel’ or ‘Jewel Changi’) is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex surrounded by and linked to the main terminal buildings at Singapore Changi Airport, serving both passengers and casual visitors alike.
Jewel includes gardens, attractions, a hotel, 300 retail and dining outlets, and early check-in facilities for various airlines. Said to cover a total gross floor area of 1,461,000 square feet (or 135,700 square meters) and rising ten storeys (five above-ground and five basement levels), its attractions include the Shiseido Forest Valley, an indoor garden spanning five storeys, and the Canopy Park at the topmost level, featuring gardens and leisure facilities. However, the centerpiece of the complex, and arguably the most impressive attraction on offer, is the ‘Rain Vortex’ which is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at seven storeys high.
https://simpleflying.com/jewel-singapore-airport-guide/
Analysis
I have imagined large scale projects like this before- most people have. It is just cool to see it actually being made. People want an experience when they are traveling. Weather flying for business, vacation, or to see family, when traveling via airplane the travelers journey starts at the airport. To transform an airport to be a more positive extension of a traveler’s commute, is ingenious. There is a very effective business model at play here. An airport is already a well visited place but by beautifying it and making it an attraction, it increases their name popularity and revenue.
Take-Aways
User experience and interaction can be designed – it is just as important as the product itself
People want an experience – design can help and business can thrive
