Qantas has stamped a definitive seal on its return to the folds of Singapore’s Changi airport – for some years, it had moved its hub from Changi to Dubai – with a new first class lounge.
The sprawling 1000sqm cocoon in terminal 1 – which can fit 240 passengers – is the work of Caon Studio and Akin Atelier, both Sydney-based studios delivering a sleek open-plan space in which a mix of perforated walls, banquettes and brass screens subtly demarcate dining room and open kitchen, lounge, a cocktail bar anchored by a 3m long Carrara marble bar, VIP quiet room, and bathrooms and 10 showers.
The furnishings – mostly customised by Caon Studio’s in-house brand BLOC – are suitably low-slung and inviting, the relaxed mood complemented by Joe Colombo Coupe floor lamps and Henry Wilson scones.
The hard surfaces of marble, European oak and large-chip terrazzo, meanwhile, are softened by coelux skylights that mimic natural daylight – a particular nice touch for jetlag passengers in transit – and strategically placed fan palms, Monstera Obliqua undergrowth and Areca palms that are meant to be quiet echoes of Singapore’s tropical greenery.
If you can’t wait till the on-board meal, celebrity chef and long-time Qantas collaborator, Neil Perry, delivers a pan-Asian menu that includes local Singaporean standards such as laksa, and salt and pepper squid alongside grilled barramundi and tea-smoked duck breast.§
