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Envisioning a human-centered gateway for urban air mobility in one of the world’s most forward-looking cities.
Value Delivered
Project Overview
Between 2021 and 2022, 1PAX participated in the international competition for Singapore’s first vertiport, commissioned by Skyports in collaboration with Surbana Jurong. The project explored the architectural and operational foundations of a new generation of aviation infrastructure, conceived to support the emergence of urban air mobility (UAM). 1PAX was awarded second prize, ranking ahead of proposals from eleven international architectural firms, and reinforcing the studio’s expertise in future mobility environments.
Key Challenge
The competition required envisioning an entirely new building typology—one that balances advanced aviation technology with public accessibility, regulatory readiness, and a clear passenger experience. Beyond technical feasibility, the vertiport needed to act as a demonstrator: a physical and experiential preview capable of building trust, understanding, and excitement around air taxi services in a dense urban context.
Our Approach
1PAX conceived the VoloPort as a compact, highly legible showroom for urban air mobility. The design focused on clarity of movement, intuitive passenger flows, and a strong architectural identity that communicates safety, innovation, and accessibility. Infrastructure, operations, and user experience were developed as a single integrated system, anticipating scalability across multiple locations and routes identified by Skyports and Volocopter. The proposal acknowledged that successful UAM deployment depends on the convergence of three pillars: advanced aircraft technology, well-designed and adaptable infrastructure, and a robust regulatory framework.
