Immersive Waterfalls, Vertical Gardens and Digital Skies – Airports as Destinations 

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03 April 2024

Terminal 2 at Changi Airport in Singapore has had a major upgrade, setting a new standard for airport design.

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Airports, as functional, useful spaces designed to manage the flow of people, haven’t traditionally been associated with placemaking. But what if these public spaces become part of the traveller experience rather than just a means to an end? What if they were aesthetically pleasing destinations in their own right?

Terminal 2 at Changi Airport in Singapore is setting a new standard for airport design with its new features:

Digital Waterfall 

Passengers at Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 are treated to an audio-visual experience reminiscent of an art installation. The immersive 14-metre-tall digital waterfall descends at the departure hall, accompanied by soothing piano music. 

The “Wonderfall” is an LED wall that’s 17 metres wide and features 892 flat and flexi-curved tiles. Water appears to cascade over boulders, before returning to a calm flow. 

Dreamscape

The “Wonderfall” is set in a vertical garden, with a “digital sky” which changes its hues depending on the time of day. In fact, the sky acts as a digital version of a skylight, as it’s integrated with the airport’s weather system. The sky also offers visual surprises such as animal-shaped clouds, hot air balloons and planes. 

Picture: an image showing The Dreamscape Garden, with its digital sky and plants. Image Credit: Changi Airport Group

There is also a huge amount of plant life on display: more than 20,000 plants selected from 100 species. Throughout the garden, the tropical sounds of Singapore can be heard through over 100 calls of birds, insects, and other local creatures.

For more airport design stories, take a look at:

• Will Cambodia’s Newest Airport be the Greenest in the World?
• The Czech Lanterns – Prague’s Airport Refurbishment

Picture: an image showing the digital waterfall, with a child in front of it for scale. Image Credit: Changi Airport Group

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 03 April 2024

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