02 Oct 2017
Henning Larsen win architecture competition for leisure-filled landmark in Manila
BY Kim Megson
Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen have won an international design competition for a striking leisure-filled skyscraper in the heart of Manila, the Philippines.
The currently unnamed tower – located in the Bonifacio Global City financial district – will stand at 308m (1,010ft) tall and has been conceived to redefine the city’s skyline with its distinctive pointed form, which will be illuminated at night.
According to the design team, the project will “set an example for how tall buildings should give back to a city and its people and how to revitalise an entire area.”
The high-rise will house a mixed-use programme, with offices, public spaces, large atriums and green terraces. A public observatory will top the tower, which visitors ascend via a spiralling walkway.
Surrounding the building, a large public plaza will provide “a protected space for popular activities and social gatherings to create life in the heart of the city.” It will be covered by a canopy of dense trees, intended to mimic the country’s tropical rainforests, and feature restaurants, a civic centre and exhibition spaces.
“This building represents a milestone for Manila and the Philippines. We aimed to make it a truly Filipino building by understanding and integrating elements of Filipino nature, culture and climate,” said Claude Bøjer Godefroy, partner and design director at Henning Larsen’s Hong Kong office.
“The tower also represents an effort to discover what contemporary Filipino architecture is about, and we hope it can inspire other local builders to join this search for identity and character.
“The project is characterised by a high degree of responsibility, in relation to not only materials and production but also regarding positive, social spaces encouraging intimacy and community.”
The design has been created in collaboration with landscape architects SLA and BuroHappold Engineering.
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