Singapore’s Changi Airport now holds the world’s tallest indoor waterfall

A seven-story waterfall designed by Safdie Architects has become the shining focal point of Singapore's Jewel Changi Airport.

The 130-foot “Rain Vortex” is supplied by collected rainwater, and flows at the center of a greenhouse topped by an inverted glass dome. Nearly 10,000 gallons of water are pumped through the circular installation per minute from a centralized oculus in the middle of the space. The overhead dome is composed of a gridded glass thick enough to absorb any noise created by the aircrafts taking off and landing, and was tested to ensure it wouldn’t give off any distracting reflections to nearby air traffic controllers.

The new addition also includes five stories of shopping, a netted play area, and a terraced garden called the Shiseido Forest Valley that is dotted with smaller waterfalls accessed by trails. Although the waterfall at Jewel Changi Airport has just opened, it will soon be eclipsed as the tallest after the 2020 completion of a 164-feet-tall waterfall installed at Grimshaw‘s upcoming Qingdao Eden Project.