Fresh New Look for Changi’s T1

Upgrading works for Changi’s oldest terminal -Terminal 1 (T1) - have been completed and a completion ceremony will take place on 18 July 2012.

Started in May 2008, the Sin$500 million T1 upgrading project has given the terminal a fresh and rejuvenated look. Works were carried out to refurbish the terminal’s interior design and finishes, as well as improve passenger flow at key areas such as the Departure Check-in Hall, Departure Transit Mall and Arrival Hall.

About 22,000 sqm have also been added to the building, bringing the total floor space of T1 to about 308,000 sqm. The larger floor area provides for more spatial comfort, better passenger flow, additional facilities and expanded retail and F&B offerings.

Tropical City

Developed on the thematic concept of a ‘Tropical City’, improvements to the façade and terminal facilities were done with the aim of improving the airport experience for passengers.

Changes were made to the layout of the terminal, with the introduction of better wayfinding elements. Added to this, higher ceilings, improved lighting, wider thoroughfares and thoughtful landscaping have all contributed to a high quality experience that is synonymous with the Changi Experience.

A major challenge facing the project engineers was to carry out the upgrading even as T1 remained operational. This meant that works had to be done in phases during the four-year period to accommodate the different operational requirements of the terminal’s users. A total of 1.5 million man-hours were utilised during the project, and at its peak, 385 workers could be found onsite at the terminal, toiling round the clock to ensure that inconveniences were kept to a minimum.

A highlight of the revamped Departure Check-in Hall is the addition of one of the world’s largest kinetic art sculptures. Known as Kinetic Rain, this sculpture is made up of a total of 1,216 bronze droplets, moving in synchrony to a specially choreographed dance every day.

The Future

To enable Changi Airport’s continued growth, CAG is now embarking on plans to develop the existing open-air car park fronting T1 into an aviation-related mixed-use complex, in a project that will increase T1’s handling capacity by 14% to 24 million passengers per annum. As part of this project, some of the public areas of the T1 building will be expanded, allowing for more space for aviation facilities such as the baggage claim hall,  arrival hall, car park and taxi bays.

The mixed-use complex will host facilities for travel segments such as fly-cruise and fly-coach which are increasingly popular.

Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer, Changi Airport Group said, “At CAG, we believe in the importance of constant rejuvenation in order to keep the Changi Experience refreshing. With this in mind, we are embarking on the implementation of various enhancements and improvements around Changi Airport to meet the changing needs of our customers and prepare for future growth. “While infrastructure upgrades are important, we place a strong emphasis on ‘heartware’ too. With our airport partners, our focus will also continue to be on ensuring that the Changi Service DNA – personalised, stress-free and positively surprising, is infused in the airport experience at Changi.”

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