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Exhibition traces Lee Kuan Yew’s visionary contributions to S’pore’s aviation

2023-09-17 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – Visitors to Jewel Changi Airport can enjoy a free exhibition that documents how the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew made Changi Airport the world-class aviation hub it is today.

The exhibition, to mark Mr Lee’s 100th birth anniversary, will run from Saturday to Sept 30, at Cloud9 Piazza, located at level five of Jewel Changi Airport.

It will move to another location at the airport after October.

Featuring six interactive zones, The Courage To Dream – The Making Of The Changi Airport Story is an immersive exhibition with rarely-seen archival documentary footage, interactive storytelling screens, and sensory exhibits.

Visitors can “step into” a living room of a typical Singaporean family living near Paya Lebar Airport in the early 1970s, complete with low and loud rumbling sounds that the residents faced back then. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Tracing the history of aviation in Singapore, visitors will begin their journey by travelling back to the 1970s to learn about the history of Paya Lebar Airport. A life-sized living room set and realistic auditory effects help take them back in time, so they can experience the inconveniences of living in central Singapore with aeroplanes flying over them back then.

An audio clip of the historical moment of the first-ever mention of Changi – during Mr Lee’s speech to a crowd at Katong Community Centre in 1970 – is also featured here.

The next chapter follows the struggles behind Mr Lee and his team’s decision to move the country’s airport to Changi Airport, when the pace of air traffic growth outstripped that of Paya Lebar Airport’s capacity. Visitors can play with an interactive digital screen to better understand significant trade-offs of the move.

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An interactive digital screen allows visitors to learn about the considerations Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team had about moving the airport to Changi. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

They are then guided through Mr Lee’s deliberations during key events in the 1970s, like the oil crisis and his decision to convene a committee to construct two runways at Changi, through archival footage and news articles. Additionally, for the first time ever, the signed cover page of the Special Committee on Airport Development final report – which gave the green light for the development of Changi Airport – is available for public viewing.

In a coffee shop set-up, visitors can watch a short film about the creation of Changi Airport, which features rarely seen archival documentary footage. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Visitors can also enjoy a short film of rarely-seen archival documentary videos of the construction of Terminal 1, which opened in July 1981, and listen to first-hand interviews with pioneering airport leaders.

Personal anecdotes of Mr Lee’s vision for Changi are featured, some of which include his vested interest in adding greenery to the airport, keeping its toilets as clean as possible, and eliminating queues.

Lastly, visitors are encouraged to explore the future of Singapore’s aviation, by looking ahead to the Changi East development and the upcoming Terminal 5.

The Garden City experience was part of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s vision, in which he hoped to build an airport boulevard of uninterrupted greenery for vehicles driving to and from Changi Airport. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES

At a media launch on Friday, Mr Jayson Goh, executive vice-president of airport management at Changi Airport Group, said Mr Lee’s decision to relocate Singapore’s airport from Paya Lebar to Changi was a “pivotal moment” for Singapore’s aviation history.

He added: “Through the stories in the exhibition, we hope visitors are able to appreciate how difficult and courageous the decision was back then, and how impactful it is still for us today.

“Without Mr Lee’s vision, courage and conviction, there will be no Changi Airport today.”