- Singapore's airport has turned off its famous indoor waterfall as the city-state locks down because of the coronavirus.
- At 130 feet, the Jewel Rain Vortex is the tallest indoor waterfall in the world.
- Changi International Airport has been ranked the top airport in the world by Skytrax for seven years running.
- The airport says it has seen a steep drop in passenger traffic due to the coronavirus crisis and is closing its Terminal 2 for 18 months starting May 1, 2020.
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The world's tallest indoor waterfall, which has become the iconic centerpiece of Singapore's award-winning airport, has been shut off to abide by the city-state's new coronavirus lockdown.
The 130-foot Rain Vortex is at the center of Changi International Airport's "Jewel," a $1.3 billion luxury mall and lifestyle hub opened in April 2019 that includes an IMAX movie theater, a supermarket, a hotel, and 280 shops and restaurants. Changi International Airport has been ranked the top airport in the world by Skytrax for seven years running.
The cascade of water falls seven stories through the core of the building, underneath a massive glass-and-steel dome. At night, a light and sound show is projected onto the falling water.
Designed by Los-Angeles-based firm WET, the Rain Vortex was inspired by Singapore's frequent rains and is surrounded by a four-story installation of lush greenery called the Shiseido Forest Valley, which comprises more than 900 trees and 60,000 shrubs.
All the water is harvested from rain and recirculates through the waterfall 24-7.
This isn't the first time the Rain Vortex has been temporarily shut off, but it is the first time it's been because of a global pandemic. A spokesperson for Changi International Airport said the Rain Vortex had previously been turned off for maintenance.
"It's an attraction and like other attractions around Singapore, we are compliant with the government's directive to suspend all non-essential services during the Circuit Breaker period," the spokesperson told Business Insider.
How Singapore is reacting to a second surge in coronavirus cases
Singapore was initially touted as a model of how to contain the virus, but after a resurgence of cases, the city-state entered a partial lockdown last week that the government calls the "circuit breaker" period. Schools and workplaces are closed and everybody is being asked to stay home except for buying food, going to work for an essential service provider, or exercising alone or with other members of their household. The circuit breaker period will last at least through May 4.
While other countries had ordered city-wide lockdowns and ordered citizens to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus, Singapore at first relied on surveillance, quarantine, and social distancing to curb the spread of infection, as Paulina Cachero reported for Business Insider.
But after a surge in new cases, Singapore decided to lock down on April 7. The Ministry of Health reported 233 new cases on Sunday, April 12, bringing the city-state's total to 2,532, The Straits Times reported.
In addition to turning off the Rain Vortex, Changi International Airport is closing its Terminal 2 for 18 months starting May 1, 2020. The airport says it will use the time to accelerate a planned expansion, possibly moving up the completion date, which was scheduled for 2024, by a year.
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