Changi Airport Terminal 4 presents an enchanting experience for all visitors, where culture, design and technology all come together. With giant kinetic structures, heritage-themed facades and immersive LED displays, here are 10 things to do when you visit Terminal 4.
Whether you’re looking for the best Instagram angle or the perfect location to plane-spot, we’ve got you covered.
For the Instagram Fan
If you find yourself constantly searching for the perfect shot, Terminal 4 has much to offer, and provides some great stories to tell in your next post. The following recommendations are must-haves on your feed!
1. Snap those gorgeous petal motifs all around the terminal
Don’t forget to look up once you enter the Departure Check-in Hall, and spot the petal-shaped ceiling skylights greeting all visitors. Tilt your camera up to capture the natural light coupled with lines and petals, giving your picture symmetry and depth.
As Terminal 4 adopts a minimalistic design approach, expect your photos to be clean, bright and vibrant. With its design inspiration originating from orchid petals, you’ll be able to spot them almost everywhere.
Tip: Petal motifs can be found even on the carpets and on lift buttons, keep a lookout for them!
2. Capture short videos of the dancing Petalclouds
Located at the Central Galleria is a kinetic installation – Petalclouds, imitating the movement of clouds floating in the sky. Its symmetrical shape and collective choreography result in an interactive art piece that can be seen from both the public and transit areas of the terminal. With its non-stop motion, it's the ideal subject for your Instagram Reels or Tik Tok video.
Tip: Get the best close-up view of Petalclouds from the transit areas of the terminal, in the extended viewing area right after the Travelling Family art installation.
3. The perfect throwback shot in front of Peranakan shophouses
At the Heritage Zone’s colourful shophouses, you will be able to showcase a #throwback scene from the many eras on your Instagram feed.
After taking that perfect picture, try to spot the LED screen (which is very well hidden) for an immersive theatrical experience. Sit back, relax, and enjoy Peranakan Love Story and Nanyang Blossom – two short cultural mini-theatre shows with music by Dick Lee, depicting blossoming romance set in 1930s and 1830s Singapore respectively.
Tip: Look out for the heritage-themed toilets in this area for even more lovely photos, with their tiles filled with colourful motifs.
4. The perfect shot at the Steel in Bloom garden
You’ll find nature and greenery all around Changi Airport, offering travellers some respite, fresh air and a space to relax before their flights. At Terminal 4, there’s the Steel in Bloom garden. The plants, 6-metre tall steel installation and koi pond will add interesting perspective and composition to your photos!
5. Pose with life-size art sculptures
Add a fun persona to your photos by striking a quirky pose with artworks housed around Terminal 4. You can pretend to be part of the Travelling Family art installation, or get creative with Les Oiseaux (The Birds). Set amidst beautiful backdrops, they are the perfect sculptures to work your inner model with.
Tip: The three bird sculptures are illuminated from 6pm in the evening, just before the sun sets. Aim to snap a photo of this installation during the “golden hour”, which in photography, means the first or last hour of sunlight in a day.
For the Frequent Traveller
Whether it’s for business or leisure, you might have travelled through Changi Airport more times than you can count. Terminal 4 however, is an entirely different experience, with its fully automated end-to-end departure process.
6. Check-in FAST
At Terminal 4, cut down your check-in time and skip the queue by using the Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST) system that offers self-service options at each stage of the departure process – check-in, bag drop, immigration and boarding. Facial recognition technology is used at the Automated Immigration Gates, so when you get to the Automated Boarding Gates, you simply have to scan your boarding pass to board the flight!
7. Watch the journey your luggage takes
For a stress-free experience when going through Terminal 4’s centralised security screening area before boarding, check out the Immersive Wall for some entertainment amidst the hustle and bustle. This 70-metre long wall has 16 different immersive stories to tell - from panoramic scenes of Singapore, landmarks in ASEAN nations, to an animated whimsical story of different pieces of lugagge travelling through the airport.
8. Rest on the fun novelty seats
Make yourself comfortable on the colourful novelty seats scattered around the terminal, which comes in all shapes, colours and sizes. These seats are quite different from those found in other terminals of Changi Airport. Be it snoozing, reading or gazing at the airplanes while on the novelty seats, it’ll definitely be a comfortable wait!
For the Aviation Geek
9. Spot your favourite aircraft taking off from the boarding gates
If you’ve always wanted a clear view of the runway, here’s your chance – the transit area at Terminal 4 is a perfect place to spot planes taking off at Changi Airport. While waiting to board your flight, kick back at one of the seats along the boarding corridor and enjoy unblocked views with the full-length windows. You might also be able to capture a photo of your boarding gate and a parked aircraft if you're lucky!
For the Shopping Addicts
10. Shop to your heart's content
A diverse selection of popular retail brands awaits at unique duplex retail outlets with 11-metre in-store ceiling and gorgeous storefront designs. You can also enjoy a wide range of duty-free cosmetics, perfumes, and wines and spirits at the world's first Integrated Duty-Free Zone in Changi Airport, comprising The Shilla Duty Free and Lotte Duty Free.
Getting to Terminal 4 from other terminals
If you’re flying from Terminal 4 but want to check out the shops and attractions at other terminals, or are connecting at Terminal 4 from other terminals, you can easily hop on the complimentary shuttle bus services at both the public and transit areas. Take note to buffer sufficient time for travelling between terminals as the frequency and bus journey differs. Check here for operating hours, bus frequencies and estimated time taken for each journey.
With all these exciting offerings, there's no reason not to check in early the next time you're flying out of Terminal 4!
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