Bonifacio Global City (also known as BGC, Global City, or The Fort) is a financial district in Metro Manila, Philippines. It is located south-east of the center of Manila in an area disputed between the cities of Makati and Taguig as well as the municipality of Pateros. The Bonifacio Global City Center forms the physical core of the Bonifacio Global City and is essentially designed as a three-by-three matrix of high-tech offices and residential buildings, bustling retail outlets and pedestrian-friendly roads and walkways.
A unique aspect of the BGC is that developers must commission an artist whenever a new building is erected. As a result many national artist or asked to create public art. Initially, the bus stops were to be commissioned to a handful of artist. They were to create functional sculptures at every stop. However, it became very clear all proposals would require engineering to be functional and safe, all of which posed impossible budget and time constraints. The BGC art commission as well as our Ayala property approached me to propose a solution for the new city. I eventually won the bid.
This project was one of my greatest accomplishments in my career. Within that small group of people working with me, I believe I inspired for the first time in my career, I turned doubt into belief.
I designed the structure to have subtle twists and curves.
The most difficult aspect of the build was the complex curve in each rib. It became apparent that local manufacturing lacked experience and knowledge required to fabricate these curves. Most manufacturers gave up. The over arching theme was that "no one in the Philippines can make such a complex piece." I was not willing to give up. I asked for one week to provide a solution.
Our solution utilized a software that could take a 3-D file and flatten it into patterns. These patterns could then be printed onto paper. Next, we cut the paper and built a paper model of the 3-D file. We started there and first built scale models of the complex curve. We eventually printed full scale and handed the patterns to my trusted metal fabricator and proved to the other manufacturers that our curve could be built.