Construction has begun on the new Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel), a mixed-use complex in Singapore. Mott MacDonald is the building services consultant for this major development, which will feature attractions, retail offerings, a hotel and facilities for airport operations.
Strategically located in the heart of the airport in front of Terminal 1 (T1), Jewel will enhance Singapore’s appeal as a stopover point for travellers. One of the key attractions will be a 40m high Rain Vortex, which is expected to be the world’s tallest indoor waterfall once complete. Another attraction will be the Forest Valley, a five-storey garden filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs. With five storeys above ground and five basement storeys, Jewel will cover a total gross floor area of approximately 134,000 sq m.
The development of Jewel at the 3.5ha site will also allow Singapore Changi Airport to expand the terminal’s footprint, increasing T1’s passenger handling capacity to 24 million passengers per annum. New pedestrian connections will be constructed between Jewel and Terminals 2 and 3, while passengers from T1 and Jewel will be linked to the airport’s MRT station, improving inter-terminal connectivity and accessibility.
CheeChuan Tan, Mott MacDonald’s project director, said: “Jewel will be an iconic development at Changi Airport. The combination of facilities, all available under one roof, will be a first in Singapore and we are proud to be a part of this exciting and challenging project.”
“The project includes various sustainable features such as optimised chilled and condenser water pipe routing to minimise the power required for pump usage, as well as rainwater harvesting for use in plant irrigation. Condensate water from air handling units will also be recycled, while hot water will be generated through the use of heat pumps,” CheeChuan added.
Jewel is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.