Singapore’s Changi Airport has long been synonymous with excellence, consistently setting the global benchmark for what an airport can be – experiential, efficient and emotionally resonant (albeit my view is that it’s often lacked light, and the carpets, although sound reducing always get my goat). Now, with the groundbreaking of Terminal 5, Changi is not just expanding capacity, but redefining the very idea of the modern terminal.
Terminal 5 is the centrepiece of the vast Changi East development, a 1,080-hectare expansion that brings together new aviation infrastructure, transport connectivity, industrial zones and green urban planning into one cohesive masterplan. Designed collaboratively by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) – the team behind Abu Dhabi’s latest terminal, Heatherwick Studio, and local firm architects61, T5 alone is expected to initially welcome 50 million passengers annually – more than the combined capacity of Terminals 1 through 4 – with room for future expansion. But far from being just another mega-terminal, T5 is envisioned as a human-scaled environment that balances complexity with calm, ambition with intimacy.
As the lead designers put it, this isn’t a terminal you merely pass through – it’s one you arrive at, experience, and remember. KPF’s design principal Trent Tesch explains that the new terminal is “inspired by Singapore’s unique blend of nature and city,” while Thomas Heatherwick describes the approach as creating “a unique place that you’d want to travel to, rather than just travel through.” That vision comes to life in a space that merges the sensorial richness of nature with architectural clarity and spatial generosity.
Nature meets neighbourhood
From the outset, T5 has been conceived as a seamless continuation of Changi’s DNA – infusing urban design with botanical drama. Drawing on the success of Jewel and the airport’s longstanding biophilic ethos, the new terminal will feature soaring glass ceilings, daylight-filled interiors, and dense vertical greenery that makes the indoors feel alive.
Gardens and trees will be layered throughout, not just for aesthetic delight, but for improved air quality, thermal comfort, and emotional calm. Singapore is one of only a few global destinations that can truly bring the outside inside, and they continue to do this in abundance.
Rather than relying on a single cavernous hall, the layout takes cues from the concept of neighbourhoods. Different zones of the terminal will feel distinct, offering moments of pause, exploration and surprise. It’s an approach that breaks down the overwhelming scale of large terminals into intimate, legible experiences. These ‘districts’ within the terminal will each have their own identity, giving travellers a sense of progression and orientation as they journey from curb to gate. It’s mega, but it’s personal – “mega yet cosy,” as Changi Airport Group’s Yam Kum Weng aptly puts it.
Perhaps most remarkable is the integration of nature not as a decorative element, but as structural and functional infrastructure. Even the MRT station that will eventually connect directly to the terminal features sculptural canopies inspired by Singapore’s rain trees, offering shade, rhythm, and spatial identity from the moment a passenger arrives. Everything, from materials to spatial transitions, has been carefully designed to resonate with the city’s equatorial landscape.
Designed for tomorrow
While much attention has rightly been given to T5’s aesthetics, what’s happening beneath the surface is equally compelling. Designed as a next-gen smart terminal, T5 will make extensive use of biometrics, automation and artificial intelligence to enable frictionless travel experiences. From contactless check-in and bag drop to AI-powered ramp operations and real-time crowd flow monitoring, the focus is on maintaining both operational precision and a sense of calm, no matter how busy the terminal gets.
The scale of the infrastructure is staggering. When complete, the Changi East project will support three runways, 40 kilometres of taxiways, and the capacity to move up to 140 million passengers a year—more than doubling the airport’s current throughput. Airside, extensive land reclamation and utilities construction has already taken place, with work on the main terminal superstructure now underway. The MRT station, which will eventually serve both the Cross-Island and Thomson-East Coast lines, is expected to be operational around 2040, reinforcing Changi’s commitment to long-term, sustainable multi-modal access.
But sustainability isn’t just in the transport links. T5 is being built with future resilience in mind, incorporating energy-efficient systems, renewable power integration, and climate-adaptive design principles throughout. Its vast glass façades are engineered to maximise daylight while minimising heat gain, and its green roofs and façades will help mitigate the urban heat island effect. Even the choice of materials is intended to reflect local context and reduce embedded carbon where possible.
Of course, there’s a civic story here too. T5 is more than infrastructure – it’s a new landmark for Singapore. Just as Jewel has become a destination in its own right, the ambition is for Terminal 5 to feel as much like a public gathering place as a transit facility. Yam Kum Weng describes it as “a vibrant space for families, friends, and the airport community to gather and bond,” underlining the terminal’s role not just as a gateway to the world, but as part of the nation’s social fabric.
Terminal 5 is currently on track for phased opening in the mid-2030s, with a first wave of operational capacity by the early part of the decade. And when it arrives, it’s expected to not only handle future demand from Singapore Airlines and Scoot – both of which will consolidate operations there – but also become the global benchmark for how a mega-hub can be emotionally engaging, architecturally expressive and environmentally intelligent.
In a world of rising passenger numbers, pressure on infrastructure, and growing climate challenges, Terminal 5 shows that it is still possible to dream big – while designing better. As Changi looks to the future, it’s clear the next generation of airports won’t just be defined by size or speed, but by how thoughtfully they serve the people who pass through them and the environment around them. And in that regard, T5 may already be setting the new global standard.
As I do every year, I ask on your kind support to keep things going. If you are able to donate – whatever amount – it all gets funnelled back in to the site, to keep the site full of content. And I thank you personally for your kind support.
