Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
SINGAPORE. Today’s images are of Changi Airport Terminal 4, taken on my iPhone before I departed from the city state following this month’s TFWA Asia Pacific show, writes Martin Moodie.
T4 is surely one of the world’s great air terminals and most definitely among the most beautiful, having won the 2018 Prix Versailles Architectural Award for South Asia and the Pacific as a testament to its state-of-the-art design.
I enjoy the serenity here, the ceiling and store heights, the lush carpet, the greenery and the outstanding retail and food & beverage offer that never feels forced on the consumer. There’s a subtle fusion of local and international and a surprise at every turn.
T4 also boasts environmentally friendly design elements with optimal use of natural lighting and energy-management systems.
Then there are the services and attractions, art and more, including Chandelier, a 16m-tall play structure, and a vibrant Entertainment Corner.
The standout for me, though, is the Heritage Zone, a place of such delight that you almost have to pinch yourself to realise you are in an airport. Inspired by Peranakan shophouses nestled around Singapore, the area houses familiar local and traditional brands, while heritage-themed façades and furnishings evoke a poignant sense of nostalgia.
And display a love story. A Peranakan Love Story to be precise. This sublimely beautiful six-minute theatrical performance is screened on the central shophouse façade at intervals, giving travellers a glimpse of life in 1930s Singapore.
