The centrepiece of the newly unveiled Jewel Changi Airport (Jewel) is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, designed by Safdie Architects.
Dubbed the Rain Vortex, the 40-metre-high waterfall sends rainwater cascading down from the ‘sky’, the centre of an oculus in the centre of the airport’s torus-shaped glass dome, down seven storeys. From the pool at Level 1, water flows down a two-storey circular acrylic water-wall and provide a unique view for visitors at Basements 1 and 2.
Engineered by design firm WET, the water is then collected in tanks and recirculated back into the waterfall or used for landscape irrigation. The oculus and flowing water also act as a passive cooling system.
“(The waterfall) is a continuation of the building,” said WET design director Peter Kopik, in a CNBC interview. “It’s like the roof is pouring in, and the building is getting completed in a liquid form.”
Surrounding the waterfall is the Forest Valley, a four-storey garden filled with walking trails set amid more than 235,000 square feet of landscaping as well as five levels of shopping space. Visitors can view the water feature from various vantage points in the Jewel.
At night, the sheet of water becomes a screen on which a light-and-sound show is projected, complemented with music and mist effects.” — Construction+ Online
