Art at the Airports
Art in public spaces takes on a different role. And when we encounter a piece of art at the airport, we see a beacon guiding us to our gate, or it's simply asking us to pause and reflect, ground down before taking off again into the unknown, seeking more adventures.
There are few airports where you might willingly consider spending the entire day of your holiday. This summer, I was lucky to travel through the Changi Airport in Singapore, and this greatly anticipated stopover lived up to the hype. The art is powerful and inspiring. The airport went through a 1.3 billion expansion only a few years ago to create a cultural hub and a place that expresses the local community and transports not only the bodies but also the minds of the over 13 million travellers who've passed through Changi just this year.
The beating heart of the airport is The Jewel, which opened in April 2019 after more than four years of construction work. It connects all three terminals, and it's a masterpiece marketplace and a paradise garden. A glass roof dissapears on the top, and an oculus appears in its centre. From here, 10,000 gallons of rainwater per minute free-fall through a multi-storey garden. It's the largest indoor waterfall in the world, built by Safdie Architects, responsible for Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), Collegiate Church Tower (NYC), The United States Federal Courthouse (Springfield, MA), and many more. The eeriness and void created by the oculus reminded me of the Memorial Pools by Michael Arad, where the noise of the city suddenly disappears, and we're invited for a moment of quiet contemplation.
The Jewel is a dynamic statement in an ample space that feels neither inside nor out. I especially enjoyed the light show as the darkness fell on the vast atrium, and the whole area became alive in a completely different way. This incredible piece of art and architecture moulded into one is well worth the city it represents, and I urge you to pause here, whether arriving or leaving. No wonder it was voted the best airport worldwide.
A sculpture made up of 1,216 bronze drops glides effortlessly above Terminal 1 central escalators, forming into 16 shapes in 15-minute sequences, including a part of an aeroplane, a hot air balloon and a dragon. This zen-like sculpture that evokes a harmony between the community of workers at the airport and the travellers passing through was designed in 2010 by German design studio ART + COM and manufactured and installed by an engineering company MKT. The movement of the sculpture is achieved through a mechanism of a high-precision motor connected directly to the bronze droplets through steel wires. Watching the gentle movement makes you relax and unwind. It reminds you how wonderful it is to travel again, discover places you've never seen, and share moments with strangers, however fleeting but all the more precious.
I wonder where did wanderlust guide you this year. Have you had a chance to explore treasures close by or venture out into the world, needing to take a deep breath somewhere unknown?
Until next time,
Fiona