When you think about the offerings of an airport, its chairs may not be something that instinctively comes to mind.
However, if you’ve visited Terminal 4 (T4), Changi Airport’s newest terminal, you may have noticed its bright and colourful chairs – all 30 different types of them, in an assortment of about 40 fabrics, leathers, patterns and colours! Here are some interesting highlights of these quirky chairs that can be found in both the public and transit areas of the terminal.
The little details that make you feel right at home
Upholstered in a combination of solid colours and floral patterns, these chairs come with character… and for some, a nifty side table, complete with charging points.
Those with an eye for detail might realise there’s something distinctly different in the way the chairs in T4 are arranged. As compared to the other terminals, you’ll discover that resting in one of these chairs feels almost like being at home! Having drawn inspiration from the warm and welcoming hotel lounges, the chairs have been arranged in cosy seating clusters so that people can fully relax and feel at ease.
A unique twist (literally) to the more traditional benches.
Apart from lounge seats, explore the other kinds of chairs all around the terminal that are equally comfortable and eye-catching, such as the plush sofas and quirky spiral seats.
Inspired by hotel lounges, these plush sofas are great for sharing seats with friends, loved ones, or even strangers you’ve just met!
These chairs are extra heavy duty – the fabrics they’re made of withstand up to 100,000 ‘rubs’!
Fabrics are coated with water repellent coating to prevent damage or staining from spills.
Besides its intriguing shapes and attractive colours and patterns, these chairs are highly durable as well. As the chairs need to be able to withstand heavy usage by Changi Airport’s passengers over many years, the fabrics used were chosen for their high durability. In fact, a “rub count” test was done for each fabric before it was chosen. During this test, a mechanised arm rubs a piece of heavy canvas over the test fabric back and forth repeatedly. It is only after the fabric starts to show significant wear that its rub count is determined – in the case of T4 chairs, up to 100,000 double rubs!
Stretch of fabric is especially important for such plush seats.
You might also find that the chairs in T4 bounce back to its original shape quickly after it’s vacated – that’s because there was special attention paid to the ‘stretch’ of the fabric, to ensure that these seats are always in tip-top form. There are also chairs around the terminal designed for passengers with reduced mobility, such as chairs that are not too low and with arm rests.
source : Now boarding Changi Airport