ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I examine the transformation of Singapore Changi Airport as a result of regional competition during the Cold War. Tracing Singapore’s ambition to become a regional center of investments, tourism, and air traffic, I challenge the conventional understanding of the Cold War as a geopolitical conflict by examining the economic yet peaceful rivalry between two supposed allies in the anticommunist camp through the lens of airports. Ultimately, I suggest that Singapore Changi Airport, with the phallic architecture that is its control tower, was a subtle beacon of peace that helped resolve tensions and facilitate cross-cultural connections—even international cooperation—during the purportedly tense Cold War.
