Celebrating Singapore’s natural beauty with two digital installations at Changi Airport Terminal 2
November 1st, 2023
On November 1, Singapore Changi Airport officially unveiled the new northern wing of Terminal 2, inaugurating the completion of the terminal’s three-and-a-half-year upgrade and expansion. As a gateway to Singapore—renowned worldwide as a garden city—the terminal blurs the boundary between nature and architecture, connecting travellers to the urban greenery that defines the city. In collaboration with Changi Airport Group and design studio Boiffils, Moment Factory created two signature installations to bring the magic of nature into the passenger experience.
In the open and airy Departure Hall, the Wonderfall, a four-story digital waterfall offers outbound travellers a place to collect themselves after checking in and a landmark for the next stage of their journey. The calming cascades flow between living vertical gardens that climb along both sides of the curved LED screen, formed by three large flat segments to maximize points of view. Multiple times an hour, the rushing waters reverse course over the megalithic boulders, giving rise to a mesmerizing dance between the elements. Set to instrumentation by composer and pianist Jean-Michel Blais, the choreography channels the raw energy of a torrent into moments of grandeur until gravity returns the waterway to its natural state.
Airside, travellers in transit can unwind in an immersive garden that sprouts from an elevated platform over a pond under a limitless digital sky. In this lush, multisensory ecosystem, natural and digital features flourish harmoniously with each other and the outdoor environment.
Like a skylight, the digital sky opens an overhead window to the world above, emulating daylight and meteorological conditions in real time through integration with the airport weather system. Throughout the garden, the tropical sounds of Singapore can be heard through the calls of birds, insects and other local creatures, generated in real time from a catalog of nearly 100 recordings and played through an immersive 3D sound system.
From sunrise to the star-filled night sky, the dynamic garden and digital sky give travellers a sense of time and place while offering surprises in the form of passing planes, birds, hot air balloons, and clouds subtly shaped like animals. Periodically, the regular forecast breaks as rain fills the sky and transforms the skylight into an underwater portal where fish, otters, and even a Sampan boat float by.
“ For this 3rd collaboration with Changi Airport Group, the established trust with the client allowed us to really push the envelope, both creatively and technically. With these installations, travelers will get to immerse themselves in Singapore’s nature with 2 unique experiences in their journey: an awe-inspiring moment at the Wonderfall and a surprising pause under the digital sky in the Dreamscape” said Fady Atallah, Creative Director at Moment Factory.
Named the World’s Best Airport 2023 by Skytrax for a record 12th time, Singapore Changi Airport is widely regarded as a global hub and leader for passenger experience innovation. Moment Factory’s continued collaborations with Changi Airport Group prove that transportation hubs can become destinations in their own right through multimedia storytelling. Previous collaborations include The Theatre of Experience in Terminal 4 and Changi Experience Studio in the airport’s groundbreaking aerotropolis, Jewel, a mixed-use visitor attraction.
Past projects include Hamad International Airport, Newark International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Moynihan Train Hall and Shinjuku Station.
