Tips by Little Twin Stars: Top spots to check out at Changi Airport (with a cultural twist!)

Who are the Little Twin Stars?

Kiki and Lala are the Little Twin Stars, born on Omoiyari Star in the Yume Star-Cloud. Little brother Kiki is a fan of fishing and inventing, while big sis Lala loves drawing and creating poetry. Due to their curious nature, they travelled a long way to Earth to learn more about this planet they’ve always wondered about.

Follow the Little Twin Stars’ journey at Changi Airport as they kick off their quest to learn more about our planet and Singapore by visiting five cultural and educational attractions in the airport. This is the first instalment of our three-part series, where your favourite Sanrio characters introduce their favourite spots at Changi.

1. Heritage Zone, T4 Transit Area

Kiki and Lala found the Peranakan Love Story to be a treat – Kiki especially loved the sweet story behind how two neighbours fell in love through music.

First up on the Twins’ exploration of Changi was Terminal 4’s (T4) Heritage Zone, where they were presented with a stunning recreation of Singapore’s yesteryear.

Designed to reflect the architecture of shophouses commonly found in the Katong and Chinatown districts of Singapore, the facades in the Heritage Zone trace the evolution of the shophouse from the 1880s to the 1950s. The architecture styles range from Baroque (1880 to 1900), to Rococo (1910 to 1920) and Peranakan in the 1920s and 1930s, before ending with the 1950s Modern Décor style.

As a poet, Lala was especially enchanted by the work of fellow wordsmith Dick Lee, who helped develop “Peranakan Love Story”, a story of romance between two shophouse neighbours which plays out on a LED screen cleverly hidden on the Heritage Zone façade. Featuring the song “Bunga Sayang”, composed by Lee, and stellar performances from Singaporean talents including Adrian Pang and Benjamin Kheng, “Peranakan Love Story” is the perfect way to introduce travellers like the Little Twin Stars to Singapore’s local talent and vibrant cultural history.

Find out more about the Peranakan touches in T4 here.

2. Art, T4 Transit and Public Areas

When it comes to art, Kiki and Lala found themselves spoilt for choice at T4.

After hearing so much about the works of art that can be found in Changi’s newest terminal, the Twin Stars made sure to marvel at them for themselves, while they were in T4.

At the heart of T4 is the magnificent kinetic sculpture, Petalclouds, with six identical “clouds” spanning 200 metres of the Central Galleria (an area which separates the public and transit areas). This unique sculpture combines art and technology to create a fascinating and continuous interplay of form, animated light and reflections. The design of its basic element – a symmetrical petal shape inspired by the orchid – can be found throughout the architecture and interior design of the terminal.

Besides Petalclouds, Kiki and Lala also loved Les Oiseaux, Hey, Ah Chek! and Travelling Family – three sculptures, each very different from the others, found in T4 to brighten every traveller’s day.

Find out more about the art of T4 here.

3. Make It Your Singapore Showcase, T2 Transit Area (Limited time only)

See your movements reflected in real-time on the Motion Silhouette Wall.

Next, the Little Twin Stars decided to make a stop at a very special interactive display at Changi – the Make It Your Singapore flip-dot installation at T2. 

Kiki and Lala loved the real-time response of the flip-dots, which changed in accordance with their movements. But what they loved even more was that the Make It Your Singapore booth allowed the Twins to bring home monochromatic portraits of themselves against images of famous Singaporean landmarks like the Merlion and the Singapore Flyer, all created through flip-dots. This unique installation can be found next to the Skytrain near the F gates in T2.

4. Viewing Galleries, T1, T2 and T3, Public Area

Changi’s viewing galleries are some of the best places from which visitors can watch the magic happen.

Kiki and Lala were enthralled by how Earth’s planes work to defy gravity and lift wingless humans up into the skies. It’s little wonder that the viewing galleries ranked among their top five places to visit. These galleries are the best places to watch planes operate – and to observe the ground crew working hard to make sure everything runs smoothly.

5. Free Tour of Singapore, T2 and T3, Transit Area

Make the most of your transit time and hop on quick bus tours around Singapore.

To learn even more about the history of this country that they’d landed in, the Little Twin Stars signed up for one of Changi’s free tours of Singapore, which are open to all travellers in transit with at least six hours to spare before their next flight.

The Little Twin Stars were hard pressed to choose between the Heritage Tour, which brings travellers to Singapore’s cultural gems like Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam, and the City Sights Tour, where they could marvel at the best of modern Singapore architecture. 

And that’s the end of the Little Twin Stars’ cultural trip through Changi Airport! Stay tuned to Now Boarding for the next part of this series, where Gudetama shares his Top 5 Places for some R&R in Changi.