>FROM its groundbreaking design to its wide variety of shops and restaurants, much has been said about our new airport terminal.
So, does Changi Airport's Terminal3 (T3), built at a cost of $1.75 billion and opened on 9Jan, live up to the hype?
The New Paper spoke to both tourists and locals to get their views.
The impressive choice of retail and dining options within the transit area appealed to tourists.
Alongside affordable outlets such as Toast Box and Giordano Concepts are higher-end boutiques such as Cartier and Vertu.
Moreover, tourists need not even leave the terminal to get a taste of local cuisine.
They can grab a bite at Ya Kun Kaya Toast or Mr Bean or have a full-fledged meal at KOPI, the 24-hour food mall.
This local flavour appeals to siblings Brigitte Fong, 15, and Fong Jing Xiong, 14, who were there with their family.
Said Brigitte: "Maybe we will come back here to eat dinner with our friends."
Mr Paul Abbott, a Londoner holidaying in Singapore with his wife and son added: "It's great that there's local food, that's what they should be pushing."
In terms of signage, T3 is also in the right direction. In addition to the usual overhead signs , there are also large standing signs.
These make finding facilities like the toilets and GST refund booth quick and convenient.
Said Mr Martin Boniface, 53, who was visiting T3 with his family on his day off: "The directional signs are quite good."
Also greeting visitors at the arrival hall is a giant mechanical flower equipped with a motion sensor that allows it to turn and face passers-by.
FLOWER POWER
The piece, entitled "Daisy", by Christian Moeller, offers tourists a special photo opportunity. It is best viewed from Level 2, within the range of the motion sensor.
Aside from a possible concern over its reflective flooring, perhaps the only downside is with the viewing gallery.
Mr Boniface explained that from his seat in the gallery, he did not have a clear view of the stationary planes.
His view was obstructed by the wooden railings at his eye level. Another problem was the lack of visibility from the gallery at night.
Despite these minor shortcomings, T3 drew unanimous praise from those The New Paper spoke to.
English expatriate Andrea Ross concluded: "I love it, it's really great and beautiful. It's very well-designed, with lots of space."
