Construction has just begun on architect Moshe Safdie’s lush, expansive greenhouse space at Singapore’s principal airport. Measuring over 1.4 million square feet, the garden space, known as Jewel Changi Airport, will feature winding nature trails as well as recreation and dining areas. At the center of the expansive glass dome that encloses the garden is a spout pouring a roaring 131-foot-tall waterfall called the “Rain Vortex.” The waterfall’s output is recycled for use throughout the building, and the cascading stream is lit up at night.
With an inward-curving apex to create a mouth for the powerful waterfall, the enormous dome’s gently curving shape was proposed to improve the structural stability of the majestic glass ceiling. Safdie envisions the enclosure as a hybrid between outdoor mall and nature preserve, visitor attraction and community gathering place, creating a richly green and relaxing environment that serves a wide array of interests. The Jewel, to be built at the heart of Changi Airport and connected to Terminal 1 via an expanded Arrival hall and Terminals 2 and 3 by pedestrian bridges, is scheduled for completion by late 2018.
Moshe Safdie’s website
via [Dezeen]