SINGAPORE -Work will start on Project Jewel, a new retail and lifestyle complex at Changi Airport, after its groundbreaking ceremony on Friday.
The glass-and-steel complex to be built on the open-air carpark in front of Terminal 1, will be the central hub connecting airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
Here's what you need to know about the project.
1. When is it projected to open, and how big is it going to be?
The complex, to open by end 2018, will have five storeys above ground, and five basement levels. It boasts a gross floor area of about 134,000 sq m that will be used for retail, airport operations, attractions and a hotel.
2. How much will it cost?
Changi Airport Group and CapitaMalls Asia are joint developers of the $1.47 billion mixed-use development.
3. Who is designing it?
A consortium of consultants that consists of Safdie Architects, which designed the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, Benoy, as well as local architect RSP, which was behind ION Orchard.
4. What will be the key features?
The multi-storey complex will be encased in a distinctive glass and steel dome. It will also feature a waterfall as high as five storeys or 40m within a lush indoor garden. There will be an estimated 270 to 300 retail tenants.
5. What airport facilities will it have?
It will connect the three existing terminals and Changi Airport MRT by foot, and add a passenger handling capacity of three million to Changi's current tally of 66 million per year.
There will be facilities dedicated to the fly-cruise and fly-coach passenger segments to make travel experiences smoother.
Terminal 1 will also be expanded to allow more space for the arrival hall, baggage claim areas and taxi bays.
Sources: Straits Times Archives, The Business Times Archive, www.capitamallsasia.com
