The Address
Carlo Calma’s latest venture caters not only to the elegant lifestyles of its residents but to the cultural identity of the Filipinos as well
While the the practice business by of putting real estate purpose is lucrative first ensures and high not yielding, only a elevating healthy
community but encourages an environment that goes beyond living
luxuriously and promotes a lifestyle that invites social dialogue.
Calma Properties Inc. President Carlo Calma, in staying true to the company’s motto
“Architect Your Life,” succeeds in doing so with his latest venture: Monument, which also
houses a Film Archives Museum, is a project whose story is almost as epic as the stuff
movies are made of.
Central to the story of the aforementioned piece of property is an eight-decades-old
residence, which aside from witnessing the passing of generations in the confines of its
walls, boasts of rich history—recounting multiple iconic Filipino movies and playing
a significant role in the history of Philippine cinema. In 1975 the “King of Philippine
Movies” Fernando Poe Jr., alongside Marianne dela Riva and up-and-coming child star
Niño Muhlach, filmed Ang Leon at Ang Daga at the house. The movie revolved around
the unexpected yet genuine friendship of a rich kid (played by Muhlach) and a snatcher
(played by Poe). Nearly a decade later, Maryo J. Delos Reyes’ youth-oriented hit comedy
Bagets debuted in the silver screen propelling the careers of many matinee idols including
Niño’s cousin, Aga Muhlach. The house of mention once again became one of many
locations for this huge box-office success.
LIVING THE REEL LIFE
Withstanding the sands of time isn’t as easy as it seems, especially for a residential structure located right smack in the middle of a bustling city. Perhaps forethought, aside from considerate guardianship of the property, preserved its legacy. But regardless of its fortunes, the reuse of the estate eventually fell into the hands of Carlo Calma and his team of experts. The multi-awarded visual artist and architect who was once hailed as one of the Philippines’ bright young stars in architecture, interior design, and visual arts was a fitting match for the address. Cognizant of its history, Carlo and the rest of the team behind the project worked hand in hand to preserve the house, ensuring its inclusion in the planning phase and eventually converting the popular film location to a Film Archives Museum.
“This is actually one of my pinnacle projects right now,” Carlo says. “And I think it’s really something new at the moment—on how people develop buildings. For me, I feel that it’s important to look at the cultural identity and the context of the site. And trying to look at places that have a historical context, but then making an adaptive reuse.” The house will then be preserved, with the residential building enclosing it. As a Film Archives Museum, it will host not only valuable memorabilia such as movie posters and other important artifacts of Philippine cinema but also a 50-seater screening room which Carlo describes as something akin to an amphitheater. This will be strategically placed on top of the old house.
This thoughtful placement was a creative idea that the team hopes will evoke a sense of nostalgia for its future users—a vantage point which recalls famous movie tropes such as young rebels who sit on the rooftop gazing at the stars and imagining better days ahead or perhaps an exhilarating magic carpet ride where each horizon passed is an entertaining image worth remembering. “I don’t think I’ve seen an experience like that, when I’m watching in a movie house,” Carlo exclaims. Other noteworthy features of the museum include galleries to exhibit important works and stations where writers of all kinds can do research or create the next award-winning novel or screenplay. He continues, “It’s really about giving back to the public, giving back to the street.”
NOTHING SHORT OF MONUMENTAL
Situated above the museum are the residential units. At one unit per floor, homeowners have the luxury of a low density dwelling—larger spaces of 180sqm to 300sqm, 4-meter-high ceilings, and the comfort of entering and leaving the elevator straight to your sought-after privacy. Carlo notes that the team was considerate enough to list down things that they haven’t done before. The product of which is an elegantly designed edifice that provides its populace a wide array of privileges—space, privacy, and cultural appreciation. Outside, the exteriors display a unique architecture that not only showcases creative prowess, but also performs a particular function as well. Carlo explains, “The concept of the building is actually a frame within a frame. These frames are not ornamental— they’re actually the structure that’s holding the building, like scaffolding. So in that sense, it’s a powerful engineering feature. We did that because by doing that, inside it won’t have unnecessary columns, so you can have a free flowing plan.”
Carlo elaborates on the plans of Monument, “The lower part is called ‘Duality Suites’ because it has vertical gardens and views from the street and a courtyard and the higher areas are called ‘Artscapes’ because I have hanging art sculptures in the scaffolding and the frames.” Each unit has 3-bedroom units stacked on top of each other showing the best vistas and all bedrooms have corner views. The dining area is the focal point of the house and it opens up to the picturesque views of the city. With the high-end units already available, the firm continues to push the envelope with 2 spacious penthouses—one has a 360-degree view of the city and the other positioned in such a way that it almost seems that it’s placed on an island separate from the building. Solar panels are also utilized, incorporating green and sustainable solutions to the project, in addition to the vertical gardens.
By merging living residential units to an existing old heritage site, the building does a good job of preserving its cultural roots while giving it new meaning and a new sensuality. Carlo cites how ancient cities such as Rome and Athens were able to step into modernization without losing its identity— how they seamlessly weaved their narratives straight into the existing fabric of the city without demolishing or destroying important components of its history.
CUSTOMIZED ENCLAVES
All homeowners are given a curated set of options when it comes to the interiors. “It’s bespoke. But bespoke with our options,” Carlo notes. “When you get a unit, you can customize the units into two themes. For the colors, you can even give your own Pantone. And then there are different finishes. Normally, it’s not really offered so much, right?” This further stresses their vision to “architect your life,” but with the necessary guidance as all choices in the selection of textures, finishes, palettes, and themes were picked thoughtfully, ensuring all combinations blend well and are cohesive.
Having recently launched the Monument and the Film Archives Museum, the team has already began laying its foundations while at the same time, concluding the construction of the museum. Carlo expects to have the entire project finished by 2022.
“When you step into the heritage house, they do not only step in to history, they step into practically film,” notes Dr. Patrick Flores, an art historian and curator, film critic, and professor in a video produced by the team for the project. And while the idea of starring in your own movie may seem glamorous or even perhaps strange especially when the sole reason of owning a unit isn’t for that purpose, it does make one feel special to reside in a structure that houses a significant part of history. And with the addition of living and breathing residential spaces, Carlo and the team succeeds in furnishing not only a grandiose monolith that performs its functions well, but also creating a viable environment where communities can thrive— reminding us of a glorious past to be proud of, while looking forward towards a well-designed future. And this puts a premium on how specific microcosms evolve—that beyond luxury, therein lies purpose.