Changi Airport's pleasure dome (pictures)

Having received more than 400 awards and widely lauded as the best airport in the world, Changi Airport in Singapore is expanding with a sleek, new glass-and-steel dome dubbed "Project Jewel." Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, whose work includes Singapore's Marina Bay Sands resort, the facility will feature a waterfall flowing from the bubble-like roof and a lush garden of tropical plants.

To be built on a 3.5-hectare plot of land, the dome will be connected to Changi's terminals 1, 2, and 3. It will have a mix of retail and leisure options.

Along with a planned fourth terminal, Project Jewel will boost Changi Airport's capacity to 85 million passengers a year. It now handles about 51 million, ranking 15th on Airports Council International's list of busiest hubs.

Changi Airport's Lantern Roof on Terminal 1 glows a different color depending on the time of day.

In Terminal 1, the 30-foot-tall Social Tree lights up in the evenings. It's a nexus for travelers to share and display their travel experiences. They can upload their photos and videos from a ring of 8 touch-screen terminals that surround the structure. The images are shown on 64 42-inch high-def screens that form a 360-degree crown on the tree.

One of the highlights of Changi's Terminal 2 is the Enchanted Garden, which features koi-filled ponds and infrared footpath sensors that trigger nature sounds. It also features four giant floral bouquets held in vases made of more than 56,000 pieces of a stained-glass mosaic tiles.

Can airports be fun? At Changi's Terminal 3, the Slide@T3 is a four-story slide that sends passengers rocketing down at speeds of 19 feet per second.