City of Pearl: Exploring Manila’s Mixed-Use Project Between Design and Urban Fabric

Manila and Water: A Complex Relationship

The relationship between Manila and water has always been complex. The city sprawls across a wide delta, making it highly susceptible to seasonal flooding. Despite these risks, the city continues to expand outward instead of focusing on addressing the fundamental issues in its infrastructure.

Industrial Solutions vs. Urban Improvement

Rather than fixing drainage systems or strengthening the existing urban fabric, some planners have turned to industrial solutions that rely on creating artificial islands crowded with luxury towers. The City of Pearl project serves as a clear example of this approach. It is a massive mixed-use development that won the Golden A’ Design Award for Urban Planning and Architectural Design in 2018, placing it among the world’s notable projects.

Design Inspired by Dubai’s Style

HPA Architects Engineers and Development Consultants designed the project, apparently following a strategy similar to Dubai’s approach. The development includes integrated commercial areas, luxury hospitality facilities, and residential towers clustered on reclaimed land in Manila Bay. The main goal of the design is to create an environment that combines work, living, and leisure. However, this often translates into expensive apartments near high-end restaurants, reducing interaction between residents of these areas and the rest of the city.

Project Evaluation: From Paper to Reality

Despite the visual appeal and carefully planned designs on paper, questions remain about the project’s ability to tackle the city’s real challenges. Planners have succeeded in presenting an idealized concept of “live-work-play,” yet the urban and social reality may diverge significantly from these theoretical designs.

Integrating Living, Working, and Leisure

The City of Pearl project emphasizes the concept of “live-work-play,” a concept frequently discussed but effectively implemented in very few developments. HPA’s design pays significant attention to walkability, accessibility, and continuous interaction throughout the day, an aspect that seems obvious until one realizes that most mixed-use projects turn into ghost towns after six in the evening.

Comprehensive Urban Design

The residential towers are integrated with commercial areas rather than being isolated. Green spaces permeate the entire development instead of being confined to small courtyards, adding a sense of openness and vitality to the environment.

Distribution of Hospitality Components

Hospitality elements, including hotels and fine dining establishments, are strategically distributed to ensure a continuous flow of foot traffic throughout the day. This layout creates natural meeting points where residents, workers, and tourists converge, exactly what makes an urban environment vibrant, rather than sterile or rigid.

Focus on Mobility and Pedestrians

HPA integrated pedestrian-oriented infrastructure with connections to public transportation from the outset. This approach reduces reliance on cars in an area plagued by severe traffic congestion, comparable to the worst rush hours in Los Angeles.

Green Spaces as a Core Design Element

The allocation of green spaces in the project extends far beyond what is typical in Manila developments, even though exact ratios are not specified in the award documents. These areas are not merely decorative; they provide “breathing spaces” within a dense urban environment, enhancing the quality of life and creating a more sustainable setting.

Sustainable Design and Building Philosophy

Since 2018, architects understood that luxury buyers expect environmental considerations to be an integral part of design philosophy, not just an afterthought. Accordingly, the project reflects a commitment to implementing comprehensive, sustainable urban solutions that go beyond conventional luxury building concepts.

Waterfront Projects: Between Fame and Oblivion

Mixed-use waterfront developments have become widespread around the world, from Marina Bay in Singapore to reclamation projects in Mumbai. What distinguishes the projects that remain memorable from those that are forgotten is architects’ ability to create genuine public spaces, establish real connections with the existing urban fabric, and design buildings that age gracefully rather than looking outdated after fifteen years.

Awards vs. Reality

The A’ Design Award recognition suggests that HPA understood the project requirements well. However, awards measure theoretical potential, while reality assesses execution quality. Ultimately, Manila will get the City of Pearl as it is actually built, not as it appeared in renderings, which, of course, always look impressive as expected.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The City of Pearl project can be seen as an ambitious attempt to redefine Manila’s waterfront and integrate the concepts of living, working, and leisure within a cohesive urban environment. On the positive side, there is a clear focus on green spaces, as well as strong connectivity with transportation and pedestrian networks, creating a sense of vitality and sustainability within the new urban fabric.

However, the project remains surrounded by several caveats. It relies on reclaimed land that may face environmental challenges over time and is geared toward affluent residents, which could limit genuine interaction with the rest of the city. Its actual success depends on meticulous execution and ongoing maintenance, factors that will determine whether it becomes a model urban development or merely an idealized design on paper.

Prepared by the ArchUp Editorial Team

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