Ground has been broken on a headquarters for BDO Unibank in Manila, designed by UK architect Foster + Partners. The building will contain lights in the façade intended to resemble a lantern when they are illuminated at night.
The development will consist of two main towers and will have a triple volume public space containing a museum hosting the bank’s art collection, as well as temporary exhibitions.
It will also contain a 3,000 sq m meeting and event space, a business centre and a canteen.
Foster + Partners said the building’s lightweight structure would reduce the concrete content by 65,000 tonnes compared with a typical tower of the same volume. It added that the load-bearing exoskeleton would allow a column-free interior.
The development aims to achieve the Green Mark Super Low Energy certification, which would be a first in the Philippines. Some 70% of the building’s potable water will come from recycled sources and it aims to achieve a 40% reduction in operational energy compared with a typical building of the same size.
Luke Fox, Foster + Partners’ head of studio, said: “The BDO campus offers a new model for the next generation of highly flexible and climatically responsive workplaces in the Philippines.
“Our holistic approach encompasses every element of the design – from the structural and environmental engineering to the landscaping and interiors – allowing us to create something completely bespoke and driven by extensive environmental analysis.”
