Singapore’s spectacular skyline, which in this century has redefined itself with soaring structures, has a unique addition: Jewel Changi Airport.
The stunning, circular greenhouse-style gem was designed by Moshe Safdie, the architect of the city’s 38-acre, 57-story, 10 million-square-foot Marina Bay Sands resort and urban district, whose wonders include the ArtScience Museum. Safdie also designed the city’s Sky Habitat, a towering residential project linked by aerial walkways and connected streets, gardens, and terraces that opened in 2015.
The 81-year-old Safdie, who was born in Israel and moved to Canada when he was a teenager, has designed projects around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and Canada’s Vancouver Library Square. Safdie Architects is based in Boston and has satellite offices in Jerusalem, Toronto, Shanghai, and Singapore.
And Jewel, which places retail shops in a “paradise garden,” is what Safdie calls “the heart and soul” of the airport, where some 65.6 million passengers pass through each year.