Henning Larsen Architects, in collaboration with landscape architects SLA and BuroHappold Engineering, has been selected as the winners of an international design competition to design a new iconic skyscraper for the city of Manila, Philippines. Located within the Bonifacio Global City business district, “ICONE” tower rises from a large public plaza as a dramatic spire, piercing the sky and becoming a new icon for the Manila Skyline.
The 308-meter-tall tower is envisioned in the tradition of iconic buildings from around the world, but pays special attention not to neglect the user experience and impact on the public realm. From the large vegetated plaza outside, to the state of the arts workspaces, restaurants, exhibition spaces and public observatory within, the building ensures a memorable experience inside and out.
“The tower is designed to set an example for how tall buildings should give back to cities and its people and how to revitalize an entire area,” state the architects.
“We aimed to create a design that will be the benchmark of how a high-rise can give back. The project is characterized by a high degree of responsibility, in relation to not only materials and production but also regarding positive, social spaces encouraging intimacy and community,” adds Claude Bøjer Godefroy, Partner and Design Director of Henning Larsen Hong Kong.
Greenery has been integrated into all areas of the complex, including the dense canopy of tall trees in the plaza to provide shade for outdoor events and green terraces and atriums all the way up the tower. These design decisions help to reinforce the building’s evolution from traditional Filipino architecture.
“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,” Claude Bøjer Godefroy explains.
“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.”
News via Henning Larsen Architects, BCDA.
