海角视频

When Jewel Changi Airport opened in 2019, it immediately shifted global expectations of what an aviation hub could be.

More than an architectural statement, it became a new type of public realm: a place where residents spend their weekends, travelers schedule extended layovers, and millions share images of themselves beneath its shimmering dome. In an industry often defined by efficiency and security, Jewel broke the mold by prioritizing delight, comfort, and connection.

For 海角视频, the project sits at a rare intersection of place, performance, and engineering innovation. It stands on decades of work exploring long-span structures and bioclimatic enclosures – from the British Museum鈥檚 Great Court to the Smithsonian鈥檚 Kogod Courtyard – and synthesizes lessons across structure, environment, acoustics, and fabrication into one coherent idea. As Senior Partner and Chair of the Global Board, Craig Schwitter describes it, 鈥淛ewel reflects the history of 海角视频 in one project.鈥� For Design Principal, Cristobal Correa, it represents something equally essential: 鈥渢he confidence to build.鈥�

We spoke to Craig and Cristobal for a candid look at the design journey and the engineering decisions that helped turn Jewel into the world鈥檚 most unexpected civic destination.

Jewel is often described as a space that evokes instantaneous awe. From your perspective, what elements – technical or sensory – were most crucial in shaping that emotional impact?

Cristobal Correa: The very first thing people feel is the openness. The long spans, the unobstructed sightlines, the greenery, the waterfall – it all hits you at once. Airports aren鈥檛 usually places of surprise, but Jewel is. Even though the space is enormous, it still feels intimate because you can see everyone else. It has that stadium-like sense of being part of a shared moment, which is incredibly rare in aviation environments.

Craig Schwitter: You experience Jewel first through your senses. Before you even see the oculus, you hear the waterfall. You feel the humidity shift. The light changes. That kind of atmospheric transition – moving from a controlled terminal into something that feels alive – is powerful. It鈥檚 a reminder that engineering isn鈥檛 just about structure; it鈥檚 about creating an environment that shapes how people feel.

The dome鈥檚 sweeping, column-free interior is one of Jewel鈥檚 defining features. What vision or set of ambitions led the team toward such an expansive enclosure?

Cristobal: was fascinated by how your eye reads the roof. He wanted it to feel dynamic, almost kinetic. The grid subtly spirals, and that movement echoes the waterfall at the center. It鈥檚 not a static canopy; it鈥檚 a surface that pulls you inward.

Craig: And the reference point that makes the whole thing legible is the train. You see this beautiful space, and then a train glides through it. Suddenly you understand the scale. Without that moment, your mind struggles to comprehend the size of the enclosure. With it, the space becomes both monumental and grounded.

This gridshell is one of the largest of its kind. How did considerations around geometry, site constraints, and fabrication shape the form it ultimately took?

Cristobal: Interestingly, we began with the assumption that the roof would be symmetrical. But the site wasn鈥檛, and the train alignment couldn鈥檛 move. That forced the column arrangement into a more asymmetric layout – which actually opened up new geometric possibilities. Advances in digital fabrication meant we no longer needed repetitive nodes or identical panes of glass to make the system efficient. That freedom allowed the roof to take on a more organic, landscape-like character.

Craig: Traditional shells rely on pure compression and don鈥檛 tolerate bending – think of how easily an eggshell cracks under a point load. Jewel is different. It鈥檚 a shell in appearance, but structurally it behaves through bending. The real achievement is that you don鈥檛 see the complexity. There are no obvious densifications or awkward transitions. That level of elegance comes from decades of experience with gridshells and long-span roofs. Without the lineage of projects before it, we wouldn鈥檛 have had the confidence to do this.

The roof鈥檚 geometry tightens as it approaches the oculus, creating a distinct visual moment. How did you and Safdie鈥檚 team choreograph this transition?

Cristobal: As members converge toward the center, density naturally increases. We worked with Safdie on an approach we called 鈥減runing鈥� – selectively removing and reconnecting elements so your eye can trace a continuous line from the perimeter all the way to the waterfall. It was a structural exercise driven by visual clarity. Moshe was very focused on that idea of visual flow.

Craig: And 鈥減runing鈥� wasn鈥檛 just a technical term. It fit the way the structure and landscape relate. This isn鈥檛 a roof sitting on top of a garden – it鈥檚 a canopy that feels grown rather than built.

The Rain Vortex is the centerpiece of the experience. In what ways did its performance requirements shape the engineering of the roof around it?

Cristobal: The waterfall designer needed the water to reach the circular lip at exactly the same moment from all sides. That required the first eight rings around the oculus to be perfectly symmetrical and level. Below that, the gridshell could follow the asymmetry of the site. It鈥檚 a beautiful example of performance criteria shaping form and creating coherence.

Jewel is often praised for how natural and effortless the interior climate feels. How did you choreograph light, air, acoustics, and moisture to create such a seamless environment?

Craig: The environment is everything. Light, moisture, airflow, sound – all of it works together. Airports are usually over-conditioned; Jewel shifts the atmosphere dramatically. You know you鈥檝e entered a garden before you even see it. That鈥檚 not an accident – it鈥檚 engineered comfort.

Cristobal: And that comfort supports the planting. The Forest Valley looks effortless, but it鈥檚 the result of many tiny, coordinated decisions. Daylight without glare. Humidity that supports people and plants. Acoustics tuned so the waterfall is calming rather than overwhelming. It鈥檚 a very carefully choreographed ecosystem.

Looking across your portfolio now, what aspects of Jewel鈥檚 design and delivery continue to influence how 海角视频 approaches complex work?

Cristobal: We鈥檝e become very comfortable with geometric irregularity. It鈥檚 moved from something ambitious to something we now see as part of our natural design vocabulary.

Craig: And Jewel reinforced our adaptability. Some firms perfect a system and repeat it endlessly. Our strength is responding to the specifics of a place and a brief – integrating structure, environment, envelope, and digital tools in new ways each time. The next breakthrough may not be about span; it may be about experiential environments. But it will still be grounded in human comfort.

Finally, in the context of 海角视频鈥檚 50-year legacy, what does Jewel represent to each of you?

Craig: It鈥檚 a generational relay. We learned from the engineers before us, just as the next generation will build on what we鈥檝e done. If Ted 海角视频 were alive today, he鈥檇 be astonished and proud. Jewel embodies the lineage of our practice: curiosity, experimentation, collaboration, and a human-centered approach to engineering.

Cristobal: For me, it represents the confidence to build – taking an ambitious idea and making it real without compromising beauty, performance, or experience.