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ST goes behind the scenes to find out what went into bringing Jewel Changi Airport to life

What does it take to build an indoor forest? Or maintain a 40m-tall waterfall? The Straits Times goes behind the scenes to find out what went into bringing Jewel Changi Airport to life and what it would take to maintain the 10-storey complex.

Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Mr Sharil Falindi Ismail, 43, an assistant manager at Chye Thiam Maintenance, buffing floor tiles to get Jewel Changi Airport ready for the public preview ahead of its official opening on Wednesday. It has taken four years to transform an open-air carpark into a 10-storey complex with over 280 shops, restaurants, leisure attractions and facilities for travellers. The big star is the Rain Vortex waterfall, which cascades from an oculus in the roof and streams down seven floors. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Animal topiaries made of fresh flowers at the Topiary Walk in the Canopy Park, one of two main gardens in the complex. The flowers are set to be changed seasonally. Located at Jewel’s topmost level, the Canopy Park features themed gardens, such as topiary and petal gardens, as well as dining outlets. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Workers putting the final touches on Aloha Poke on the top floor. For the 2,600 staff working at Jewel, the sole mission is “to delight customers”, says Mr Jeremy Yeo, head of user experience. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Above: Projectionist Ridwan Sharif, 34, operating the laser projector at Singapore’s first next-generation Imax hall, featuring Imax with Laser. To be available from April 24, it is the fourth Imax theatre here but the first to feature Imax with Laser. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Workers clearing construction waste before the opening of Jewel under the watchful gaze of a security officer. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel’s user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Concierge Gloria Feng (left) and executive Amanda Hoo, from the user experience team, stacking brochures and stocking up sweets at the Level 2 concierge counter. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Workers sticking wallpaper onto storefront hoardings, which have been designed to look like decorative art installations, during the renovations. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Workers abseiling to reach the softscape of the North Canyon wall of planters for maintenance. The upkeep of Jewel’s gardens, facade and waterfall requires precision and effort. Every plant is visually checked once a week and pruned every month, and weeding is done every fortnight ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Senior executive Alex Foo (left), 30, and executive Mohamed Foheer Mohamed Fazlullah, 29, from Jewel's user experience team, checking pumps in the control room for the Rain Vortex waterfall. Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. Th
Workers planting and pruning in the pond at Canopy Park. There are more than 2,000 trees and palms, and over 100,000 shrubs at Jewel, with the 120 plant species coming from countries such as Australia, China, Malaysia, Spain, Thailand and the United States. Getting them here was a big challenge, and the entire process – including sourcing the plants – took more than three years. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Karamjit Kaur Senior Aviation Correspondent  & Timothy David Photojournalist 
Updated
Apr 20, 2019, 02:06 PM
Published
Apr 15, 2019, 05:00 AM
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The verdict is clear. From the throngs as well as selfies, wefies and snapshots on social media since last Thursday, when people began streaming in, the star at Jewel Changi Airport is its indoor waterfall.

And making sure it looks perfect in the picture is as tall an order as the 40m-high structure itself. The tanks must be algae-free and the water maintained at the optimal pH level, said Mr Jeremy Yeo, Jewel Changi Airport's head of user experience.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 15, 2019, with the headline ST goes behind the scenes to find out what went into bringing Jewel Changi Airport to life. Subscribe

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