Have a long layover at Singapore? Check out Changi's shiny new Jewel

Typically, a handful of empty hours between flights gives you a chance to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing. But at Singapore’s Changi Airport, a new mega-attraction might just mean you actually look forward to breaking your journey in two.

Welcome to the five-story glass dome they’re calling Jewel Changi Airport, which opens its doors on April 17.

Built over the former open-air car park in front of Terminal 1, the Jewel's intricate construction includes 9,000 pieces of glass and 18,000 steel beams, and weighs a total of more than 6,000 tons.

The Rain Vortex – said to be the world's highest indoor waterfall and surrounded by thousands of trees, plants and shrubs – is the jewel in the Jewel's crown. While it looks impressive during the day, a sound and light show will transform it into a cacophony of color when the sun goes down.

Agoraphobics should probably stay away from the Sky Nets, which offer a bird's eye view of the Jewel. The 250m (820 feet) long trampoline-like bouncing net will keep the children entertained some eight meters off the ground, while the 50m walking net passes high above the retail section.

And in Singapore, the shopping mall is king. The Jewel has more than 280 stores, including Southeast Asia's biggest Nike outlet and the first permanent Pokemon store outside Japan.

Even if you don't have time to stroll through the Jewel, the Skytrain connecting terminals 2 and 3 passes through the dome, pictured here with the Canopy Bridge.

London-based mini-hotel operator Yotel is opening up YotelAir, offering 130 rooms that can be booked overnight or just for a few hours to freshen up. Rates start at S$80 for four hours. The Jewel also offers early check-in counters for some 20 airlines, if you arrive more than three hours before you fly.

Dining options range from the staples of Shake Shack, Burger & Lobster and Tiger Beer's Tiger Street Lab draft brew outlet to Jumbo Seafood, home of Singapore's famous chili crab.

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