UK’S BROADWAY MALYAN MAKES WAVES IN PH LUXURY PROPERTY SECTOR
It has designed some of the most iconic skyscrapers and landmarks gracing famed cityscapes across the globe. But beyond just being stunning or visually arresting, these structures were configured based on a vision and a “Big Idea” that global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan embeds in every project, tailored specifically to a client’s philosophy and needs, as well as the local context.
Some of Broadway Malyan’s most renowned and high profile design works include St. George’s Tower, the tallest residential building in London; the new Miami Cruise Terminal for Royal Caribbean; and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) new northern headquarters in the UK, among others.
Positive legacy
Architect Miguel Sousa, Director of Architecture at Broadway Malyan, said that they are primarily inspired to create places that will provide a lasting positive legacy.
“At all scales, the success of our design has a significant impact on people’s quality of life. We believe that a rigorous placemaking-led design process is the key to ensuring the success and maximizing the economic and social value of projects at every scale, from a city district, building, a park or individual home or interior space,” Sousa explained in an e-mail interview with the Inquirer.
Sousa further noted that the places they design have a clear purpose to ensure that they deliver the best experience for those who will use them.
Places with a clear identity, he added, can generate a strong sense of place that provides people with a feeling of belonging. This is what Broadway Malyan prioritizes in its design.
“By adopting a repeatable, rigorous and robust design process, we ensure that a clear vision and a ‘Big Idea’ are embedded in every project. This is al- ways tailored to the client’s philosophy, their needs and the local context,” Sousa explained.
“Our deep sector understanding also helps us to make sure that we are delivering designs that have been benchmarked alongside other similar developments from around the world, ensuring that we can develop a proposal that delivers something special and unique to our clients,” he said.
Partnership
In the Philippines, Broadway Malyan is partnering with real estate giant Megaworld Corp. for The Albany, an upscale residential development of apartment villas in McKinley Hill.
This latest project is composed of two blocks: The Kingsley and The York, each rising 11 storeys high. The two blocks will each offer 64 residential units, or a total of 128 units, with choices ranging from a twobedroom and three-bedroom cut, to a three-level state-ofthe-art penthouse.
Inspired by sophisticated city living, the overall design approach is to create a residential haven with qualities capturing the essence of city life and garden retreat.
“The Albany sets a benchmark in high quality residential design in Greater Manila. The design has been developed to consider every detail on the apartments, to ensure great quality of life, ,” Sousa said.
“From the look of the building when approaching the site, to the rich detail of the landscape and fencing design, to the luxurious sense of arrival created by our exquisite lobby areas, every aspect has been designed to create a great place to live,” he noted.
Sousa added that they did not want the building to grow too tall, in order to preserve the sense of exclusivity.
“The low density also helps with providing more amenities and support areas for each unit. All units are served by private elevators, and the living rooms have double height volumes for a heightened sense of luxury and glamour,” he said.
Distinctive qualities
According to Sousa, they wanted to create a strong sense of place and identity for The Al- bany, while providing the units with distinctive qualities that will allow it to stand out in the local luxury segment.
“Place making is all about creating an identity. The Albany is a development composed of two buildings—The Kingsley and The York. Each building has its own address and personality, and the success of our design owes much to the dialogue between these two buildings, like two characters in a play,” he further explained.
The Kingsley, Sousa explained, is modern, sleek and bold. It uses sophisticated details such as backlit frosted glass and an LED lit frame giving it an edgy and contemporary look.
Its neighbor, The York, is designed with a modern reinterpretation of a Neo-classic French palace. The visual recognition of the basic “base, body and head” architectural elements is emphasized to produce a building that looks elegant, discreet and distinctive.
Sousa pointed out that the one of the project’s great strengths was the fact that units have a generous façade width, which means that all spaces have plenty of natural light and views out to the boulevard.
Broadway Malyan, along with Megaworld, also visited local suppliers “to select beautiful local material specifications, and infuse the design with a greater sense of local heritage.”
Indeed, this design collaboration between globally acclaimed Broadway Malyan and international expert developer Megaworld will again pave the way for the creation of a unique and iconic development.
“As designers, we could not have been happier with our partnership with Megaworld, and the quality standards we have achieved in past projects,” Sousa concluded.