By Maria Almenoar

THE PIAZZA: Located in the centre of the departure Transit Mall, it will be a large space for passengers to relax in.

FIRST, $240 million was poured into upgrading Changi Airport's Terminal 2 in 2006. Then Terminal 3 had its grand opening this year.

Next up: a $500 million makeover to update the look of the 27-year-old Terminal 1.

The project, to be completed in 2011, will add another 18,000 sq m of floor space and gird the facility to face the competition mounted by newer airports.

Mr Lim Kim Choon, the chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), said: 'It is timely now to focus on the grand old dame, T1.' He was speaking yesterday at the signing of the contract between CAAS and Takenaka Corporation, which will do the upgrading.

Among the dated features to go are the low ceilings and the mylar fountain - the one in which water runs down cords. T1's new look will have higher ceilings and glass walls to give arriving passengers a view of the landscaping outside.

Fifteen more shops and food and beverage outlets will be added, the departure and seating areas for waiting passengers will be enlarged and the public viewing gallery will be designed for better views of the departure hall and runways.

WIND SHELTERED BERTHS: At the drop-off point for passengers, a wide canopy extending over the first two lanes of traffic will give more shelter.

The improvements will also extend outdoors, where more sheltered space will be built for departing passengers being dropped off by taxis and cars.

The renovation works will not enable T1 to handle any more than its current capacity of 64 million passengers a year, but it is hoped that the improvements will meet the demands of passengers who are now better travelled and expect more than just basic functionality, said Mr Lim.

Ms Angela Gittens, the director-general of Airports Council International, the global trade association of the airport community, agreed, saying that new airports are selling themselves to airlines as high-tech facilities that can process passengers quickly, so 'existing airports have to compete with that'.

Airports also need to continually fix the wear and tear they are subjected to from passenger and vehicular traffic, she added.The industry's current focus on security and energy savings also demands that airports incorporate new fixtures.

Some of the 51 airlines operating out of T1 like British Airways and Qantas said they were looking forward to the improvements which will add to their passengers' flying experience.

ORCHID WALL: An exhibit of orchids in bloom and new glass lifts with water features will adorn the Arrival and Departure Halls.

But some airlines are concerned about disruptions to operations, such as having to relocate their check-in counters temporarily. Cathay Pacific's airport services manager Rolando Delfin is also expecting noise and dust, due to the works.

CAAS said the renovation will be done in phases and at night, or during off-peak periods to avoid inconveniencing passengers and the airlines.

Work has already started on areas that are out of passengers' sight.

mariaa@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times on August 26, 2008.

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