The Bird's Nest and the Water Cube

One of the most anticipated events this year is the 2008 Olympics to be held in Beijing, China. With the slogan One World, One Dream, the Games of the XXIX Olympiad will draw thousands of athletes from around the world to compete in 302 events in 28 sports.

The Beijing Olympics also holds a special significance because it is widely seen as China's monumental step into world prominence, a chance for the giant nation to build goodwill and showcase itself to the world. To make Beijing worthy of its role as Olympic host, the Chinese built a number of new structures and landmarks for the games.

More than the spectacle of sports and fanfare, I am looking forward to these two new structures that are sure to become architectural icons: the new Beijing National Stadium and the Beijing National Aquatic Center.

The Beijing National Stadium, the centerpiece of Beijing's Olympic Green, is nicknamed the 'Bird's Nest' because of its unique nest-like design composed of an interweaving grid-like enclosure and retractable roof. This astounding feat of engineering is designed to embody the 'Randomness of Nature'.

Not only is it an engineering and architectural marvel, it's also environmentally-friendly - with its own rainwater collection system, a translucent roof that provides essential sunlight for the grass below, and a natural, passive ventilation system. The $500 million stadium is designed by Herzog & De Meuron and will hold 100,000 spectators.


Meanwhile, the Beijing National Aquatic Center, standing opposite the 'Bird's Nest', is destined to be one of the most exciting venues at the 2008 Games. Nicknamed the 'Water Cube' or [H₂O]³, it features a soap bubbles-inspired architecture achieved by using a steel spaceframe clad with hundreds of square meters of ETFE, a kind of plastic.


The ETFE cladding makes the Water Cube 30% more energy efficient by allowing more light and heat penetration than traditional glass. At night when the structure is lit from within, the Water Cube would be a stunning sight.

I hope the Philippines will also have an iconic stadium of its own soon. We definitely need a new world-class stadium to hold world-class events. The historic but antiquated Rizal Memorial Stadium simply wouldn't suffice anymore.

Click here for more information and photos
Check out construction photos here

Legazpi’s Embarcadero On the Rise

Bird's Eye view of Embarcadero

A few months ago, I wrote about Legazpi City’s newest world-class destination on the rise – the Embarcadero, an ambitious project spearheaded by Misibis Land Inc. (MLI). Now, MLI’s latest official newsletter, Misibis Today, reveals more details about this Marina-inspired development in the Legazpi Port area. Construction of Phase I (which already cost P450-500 million) is now in full swing and is expected to be completed next year.

Master-planned by BN Group Pty of Australia, the Embarcadero will have a total of nine structures within the 2.5 hectare site, including a four-level commercial and lifestyle center that will house specialty shops, restaurants, bars, a supermarket and an 800-seat call center, among others. Six other structures ranging from 1 to 2 storeys each will be spread out across the site located at the foot of the Kapuntukan or Sleeping Lion Hill.

The entire complex will be punctuated by a 30-meter, intricately-designed steel and concrete lighthouse that will undoubtedly become a new landmark for Legazpi. Since I happen to love lighthouses, I can’t wait to see how this new modernistic structure will turn out. Closer inspection of the architectural renderings reveal a possible spiral staircase within the structure that could lead to an observation deck at the top. This will undoubtedly provide a breathtaking panorama of Legazpi, Mayon Volcano and the wide expanse of the Albay Gulf.

Celebration Plaza and Lighthouse

An expansive civic space amidst the structures will be called the Celebration Plaza. Aside from the lighthouse, the plaza will be the centerpiece of the Embarcadero and will provide a venue for conventions, concerts, expos, trade fairs and other events. The wooden boardwalk furnished with benches, food stalls, and kiosks will provide Legazpeños and tourists with a place for relaxing, strolling, biking, simply enjoying the sea breeze and other activities.

Meanwhile, to address concerns about safety, with the city being on the typhoon belt, the company made sure the waterfront facility has typhoon-resistant buildings and will be elevated from the natural ground line. The bay walk will also serve as an elevated and inclined seawall. Also, Phase III of the project requires reclamation of about 500 meters of the shoreline which will surely widen the land area for the facility.

Majority of Legazpeños are not yet aware that such a project is now being built in an area that once had a bad reputation as a place for brawls and pickpockets. With the recent disasters, some are even doubtful of the safety of building a waterfront structure. Still, I think we can expect that MLI, being a genuine Bicolano company, fully understands the safety needs and will implement measures to protect their multi-million peso investment.

Shops and Restaurants within Embarcadero

I hope the success of this project will have a ‘ripple effect’ throughout the entire city and help boost its economy and rejuvenate the port district. This project may be ambitious but it certainly is not quixotic. I wish other sectors of the Legazpi community will be as audacious and forward-looking as MLI.

Photos from the Misibis Today Newsletter, July 2007 Edition (click to enlarge)
For construction photos and more updates click here.

Embarcadero in Legazpi City

Citizens of Legazpi will soon have another prime destination right within the city – the Embarcadero. Formerly called Sunwest Wharf, the Embarcadero is a project of Misibis Land Inc, the developer of Misibis Resorts, Estates and Spas. This wharf development will be located in the Legazpi Port Area near the unique Kapuntukan Hill (also called the Sleeping Lion because of its shape).

The Embarcadero is a waterfront project that is envisioned to be a new world-class destination for local and international tourists with retail areas, restaurants, a civic space and a landmark lighthouse. Embarcadero will be designed by BN Group Pty Ltd, an Australian-based architectural and urban design firm which is also involved with the Suria KLCC Retail Podium in KL, Malaysia and the East Darling Harbour in Sydney.

As its name implies, Embarcadero will not just be a destination in itself but will also be a jump-off point to other destinations within Bicol including Mayon Volcano, Vera Falls in Malinao, Sula Channel, the underground river of Pototan Cave, the giant Manta rays of Ticao Pass, the whalesharks of Donsol , Nag-aso Boiling Lake of Manito, Camarines Sur Watersports Complex and Misibis Resorts, Estates and Spas. The company is already looking for a Marketing Manager for the retail area.

I hope this new development in Legazpi City will be successful and will win the support of Legazpeños and Albayanos. Along with other projects such as the Southern Luzon International Airport in Daraga and the rehabilitation of the mothballed Mayon International Hotel, these developments can further spur tourism here in our province.

Eco-tourism can do wonders to our local economy and will certainly create more jobs and business opportunities. Now that the private sector is doing its part by investing in our own natural wonders, I hope every Albayano will also do their part in making our place more tourist-friendly and progressive.

Sometimes the problem lies not only in the lack of infrastructure or the lack of government funding but also in the cynical attitude of some.

Sadly, many of our kababayans do not give a damn about their own city and province. We need 'pride of place', belief in the beauty of our natural resources and our capability for progress despite whatever problems and disasters. The site of the Embarcadero may not look promising at present, but it takes people with vision and determination to create progress and change. If we work together, nothing is impossible.

SkyscraperCity

Ever since I was a kid, I have always been fascinated by architecture, urban planning and the art of building habitable spaces. I remember I used to doodle my own versions of skyscrapers and houses on the last pages of my school notebooks, especially when the lessons get all too boring. And in the really boring subjects, I think there were more doodles than notes. LOL. Even before PC games such as SIM City were popular, I already had my own city, complete with wide avenues, seaports and airports, residential and commercial zones, etc. haha.

I also used to pore over news articles of new and upcoming building projects in Manila, even though I barely understood some of them. I actually kept some of those full page ads of new skyscraper projects (though I have already lost them). I’d really get hyped up when a new project was announced through the papers. Back when the Petron Megaplaza was still the tallest building in the country, I conceptualized my own tallest building on the back of a pad paper using a ballpoint pen. (You may be wondering why I didn’t pursue architecture in college, but that’s a different story altogether, LOL.

Anyway, I still love architecture, urban planning and skyscrapers. Thus, it is no wonder that one of my favorite websites is related to these interests of mine. I have been a member of SkyscraperCity forums for almost 2 years now. I discovered the site while browsing for aerial photos of the Philippines. Since then, I have been hooked by the huge wealth of information (and photos) of skyscrapers, cities, towns and other development-related topics. Some of my co-forumers have also become my friends too, although only through the web. So there, if ever you have the same interest in architecture, urban planning, photography, history and general development topics, I highly recommend SkyscraperCity forums, my fave online tambayan.