The Chronicles

Trip to the Bay!

Written by: Fyorjesa P. Madrona
Photos by: Erika Cabreros 

The SM Development Corporation has constructed numerous commercial buildings all over the country for ages. They had given us the opportunity to feel and taste the sweetness of leisure. Of all the structures that they lifted up, this extraordinary building gives us the new face of sports arena only in the Philippines.

The United Architects of the Philippines – Student Auxiliary organized its 5^th chapter activity entitled Take Me There: To the Bay that took its place at the Manila Bay Area, Pasay City last November 19, 2011. The students gathered at first in the UST grounds then left at exactly 9:30 in the morning to the site. When the students got there, a security guard escorted them to the company’s office for the giving of the hard hats. The group was then divided into two sub cluster with its leader, Arch. Lawrence Limon who graduated in the University of Santo Tomas last 2007. He first introduced himself as an architect as one of the supervisor of this project. Together with Arch. Limon’s colleagues, also graduated in UST, they accompany the group floor by floor. He explained to them the different kinds and types of materials used in the arena. At one point, he showed to the crowd the crafting of the truss, beams and the columns.

Starting with the topmost portion of the arena, the 5^th floor, was located thecontrol room and the seats. Arch. Limon reminded the group for those who will took his/her thesis should be very careful on plotting the structural utilities for it depends on the entire lifeline of the building. He also explained to the group the parking building that is adjacent to the arena where its design concept is also an eyed shape. It will use a LED screen on the façade of the building that sooner or late, people can enjoy watching games from the inside. The 3^rd floor consists of the VIP areas such as the corporate suites, for players and more. According to Arch. Limon’s colleague, this part is the best potion because they can see anything around the arena; not to high, not too low. For the 2^nd floor area, Arch. Limon explained to the group the glass that will be using for the exterior which will be a Low E (or Low Emission) glass that will trap heat inside the glass from the sun and cold from the air condition and absorbs it. This, according to him, can help increase its energy efficiency. The ground floor is where the public area and the entertainment intertwine. It consists of an arcade area, coffee shop, food and clothing stalls, stage, lockers and many more provisions. Arch. Limon also discusses to the group his tips and guides on how to manage our time on sites. With 14,000 to 16,000 seating, the architects and the workers construct this masterpiece as one of the most challenging structure that ever made by Arquitectonica.