Foster-designed BDO twin towers to redefine Makati skyline 

NEW LANDMARK Architect’s rendition of the new BDO Corporate Center Makati —Contributed photo

A few years from now, Makati will have a distinct skyline and a new icon that will redefine a city that has been both the longtime home of business giants and the birthplace of promising startups.

The Sy family of billionaires has again tapped a trusted and world-renowned architect to build the third main office complex of banking arm BDO Unibank Inc.

BDO Corporate Center Makati will span five separate plots of land and feature an exoskeleton structure, a design that can be easily traced back to British architect, Norman Foster.

The veteran architect’s newest project with the SM Group will comprise two towers and an annex building, all of which with a design that reduces concrete content by over 65,000 tons, according to BDO.

To take advantage of the building’s vast open spaces, 75 percent of rooftops will be covered in greenery. An urban farm will likewise be built within the building, along with an auditorium and several event areas.

“Inside the building, workspaces will encourage collaboration and interaction, with flexible office spaces, trading floors and business hubs,” BDO says.

The bank adds that the building design is expected to reduce operational energy by more than 40 percent, as radiant cooling systems will help “drastically reduce” energy demand.

Much like some SM malls, over 70 percent of BDO Corporate Center Makati’s potable water will be recycled and reused onsite.

BDO’s other main office complexes are the existing BDO Corporate Center Ortigas in Pasig City and the BDO Corporate Center Cebu, which is nearing completion.

Foster, who is responsible for designing other global icons like the London City Hall and the Hearst Tower in New York, previously worked with the SM Group to build The Estate—touted to be the Philippines’ “most beautiful” skyscraper.

The Estate, the SM Group’s luxury residential tower along Ayala Avenue in collaboration with the Ty family’s Federal Land Inc., marked Foster’s debut into the Philippine real estate scene. At the same time, it is one of SM’s first projects in the upscale segment.

Real estate subsidiary SM Prime Holdings Inc. plans to officially enter the high-end market next year under the SM Residences brand as challenges in the mid-income segment, its core market, persist.