Rockwell’s new gateway

Rockwell Land Corp. could not have made a better decision when it opted to tap the services of Arquitectonica, one of the world’s most prominent architectural firms, as design consultant for blocks 9 and 10, Rockwell’s newest vertical development.

Arquitectonica is a world leader in excellent, innovative, and modern design. The American Airlines Arena in Miami, home of the NBA team Miami Heat; The Bronx Museum of Arts; the headquarters of Banque de Luxembourg; the Westin New York at Times Square; and the Festival Walk in Hongkong, are just a few examples of the award-winning structures designed by Arquitectonica all over the world.

This full-service architecture, interior design, and planning firm, began in Miami, Florida 28 years ago as an experimental studio. Led by Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear, it now has a practice across the US directed from three regional offices: Miami, Los Angeles, and New York, while its international practice is supported by offices in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

The firm has pursued an unconventional modernism that is both abstract and romantic, playful as well as dramatic, and forceful. First recognized for its flamboyant contributionts to Miami’s skyline in buildings such as the Atlantis, "the building with a hole in the middle," Arquitectonica has earned a reputation that has spread throughout the world. Their high-style modern architecture appeals to private and public clients alike, and has resulted in large retail projects in Hongkong, a performing arts center in Dijon, France, and hotels in new York City and Asia as well as a variety of work in South America. In Manila, Arquitectonica designed the Pacific Plaza Towers in Fort Bonifacio.

Fort-Brescia was recently in Manila to meet with officials of Rockwell Land to discuss their plans for the company’s newest vertical development, which aims to define Rockwell’s new modern approach and to create a gateway to this carefully planned urban development in Makati that is the Rockwell Center. "Our task is to give identity to this development," this Italian architect says.

Fort-Brescia describes their designs as unique, but not experimental, combining modern form with function.

The new Rockwell development

The new two new buildings that will rise in blocks 9 and 10 of Rockwell boast of designs that will permanently change Makati’s landscape.

The first building creates an appearance of three or four buildings via a series of terraces which according to Fort-Brescia was inspired by the Banawe Rice Terraces. And because the folds will create several corners instead of four, residents can choose their preferred view unlike in a rectangular building.

"The vista avoids other buildings. The folding allows you to skip other buildings. Some people want to look at an open field, or Makati, or Rockwell. Because of the distorted proportion, the sun will hit the building in several ways, creating light, shadow, light, and shadow," Fort-Brescia explains.

Meanwhile, the second building is more curvilinear, consisting of two Cs that do not meet. One is higher than the other and on top, the pool cascades to another pool. They are basically two cylinders sliding past each other. "It is more interesting that a cylinder. There is a dynamic aspect to it, some movement," he added.

Fort-Brescia says that while the two buildings are a contrast of curve and angle with one having a softer nautical form and the other sculpted and chiselled, the facade will eventually tie them together. The cylinder building will have 52 floors while the zigzag will have 45 storeys. Rockwell officials revealed that the project will be launched before yearend and completion will be in four to four-and-a-half years.

As planned, there will be a third building whose design will be more traditional. "I don’t want three identical towers," he pointed out.

Inspiration

Architects, according to Fort-Brescia, have different approaches. A large part of the work of Arquitectonica, he said, is characterized by graphic clarity, forms that are pure and strong because of the prisms, bold moves and broad strokes.

"A structure’s presence must be felt. Forms have to have message. But while our designs are different, they still co-exist with the other large buildings in the area," he said.

Every structure, Fort-Brescia adds, has a literary side, a story to it. But it is in combining functionality which is the rational side of the development with the subjective side that makes Arquitectonica designs a stand-out. "In life, you always look for a balance. People want shelter, but they also want it to be special," he pointed out.

Especially in high-rise residential development where Arquitectonica is considered the best in the world, Fort-Brescia notes that the first thing is to instill pride in ownership.

"You want to tell your friends that you live there and be proud of it. You also have to be able to describe it in simple terms. The form should have a certain clarity. Pride of ownership is something.," he explains.

The second thing is that the sense of arrival must be special."How you arrive at your home is important because that is how your guests create an impresion of your home. Your front door is how they will see you. But of course, the surrounding environment is important. What environment are we creating around that arrival?" he stressed.

Fort-Brescia explained that Arquitectonica was very fortunate to start in a city where living in a high-rise development is normal. "This way, we understand the trend in Manila and what its residents want and need in a high-rise residential condominium," he stated.