EAT, PLAY, FLY (OR NOT)

HOW AIRPORTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES INTO DESTINATIONS FOR VISITORS-EVEN WITHOUT A BOARDING PASS

- STORY BY NED RUSSELL

When Jewel opened at Singapore's Changi Airport six years ago, its greenery and waterfalls stunned locals and visitors alike. The already world-renowned airport was transforming into its own destination.

"People seek to hang out in the departures areas at Changi, which is completely insane, but people do it," said Jaron Lubin, a senior partner at Safdie Architects, which designed Jewel, at a talk on the future of airport design.

Changi Airport, Lubin continued, was "part of the city structure." That idea of an airport as its own destination, rather than just a place to catch a plane, has gained weight in the last five years. Airports from Denver to New York to Portland, Oregon, are trying to emulate at least some of Changi's success.

Jewel at Singapore Changi Airport OPPOSITE A sensory room at San Francisco International Airport offers a space for neurodivergent travelers OPENING SPREAD Portland International Airport, Oregon

But making an airport a destination is difficult to achieve, a goal made even more challenging by local custom. Jewel succeeded, in part, because Changi was already a destination for Singaporeans. Few New Yorkers, except maybe those visiting the TWA Hotel, go to JFK to grab lunch or dinner when they are not traveling. A key first step is to make these global gateways local.

GLOBAL GATEWAYS WITH LOCAL FLAIR

New airport terminals go to great lengths to highlight their locations. The architecture is often inspired by nearby mountains or the beach.

Popular local eateries and shops are wooed to open outlets in the terminal. And everything from public art to the interiors of new lounges is often locally themed.