Pictures from Ortigas Center here.

I will start with one of our favorites, Union Bank. Taken Summer 2003.

Again, if it doesn't display, it's because the imagehost stinks. Reload tomorrow.

http://www.geocities.com/mikerasalan/philippines03/unionbank.txt

This time, a low-rise.

This is a picture of the gates of hell... er... the Asian Development Bank headquarters.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid77/p46d4f03363c42cdabf0a64f523653c44/fb301276.jpg

Those are some of the nicest buildings in Ortigas - even if ADB is a low-rise. Why isn't the UnionBank tower occupied yet? I went to church at GCF yesterday and passed by the place. The construction walls (or whatever you call them) were still up around the area...

Oh yeah, the Malayan Plaza (is that what it was called?) residential condo in the Ortigas Center has, I think, reached the top already. It's the one that was halted??? Well, I passed by yesterday too and the top was already up... or at least it look like the top.

ASB Malayan, according to Francis is at this final stages of construction...

I agree, ADB is a really nice low rise...and its pretty old already!

This is the HSBC building in Ortigas. I dunno the real name. I just took a picture for fun - around December/January... nothing special about the building though.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid108/p20ddfa9962f30f286994787b611ea30d/f9446252.jpg

Actually, thats Discovery Suites. It is a 5 star hotel (i think). HSBC just has an office there. HSBC's Philippine HQ is in Enterprise though.

Originally posted by GreyX

Actually, thats Discovery Suites. It is a 5 star hotel (i think). HSBC just has an office there. HSBC's Philippine HQ is in Enterprise though.

oh, I see...

Well, there is one thing special about it. It has a sky garden, somewhere on top of the glassy area of the building.

Originally posted by GreyX

Well, there is one thing special about it. It has a sky garden, somewhere on top of the glassy area of the building.

oh, cool... we should have more of those. lots of buildings in Singapore have sky gardens to compensate for the land that the took away.

plus there's a hollow in the middle that let's the light in. is this called Discovery Centre and Discovery Suites at the same time? or depends on what part are you referring to?

Yeah I think it is called Discovery Center...my bad. But the hotel is called Discovery Suites.

Yes, the garden is a pretty cool feature.

Here's my Union Bank Photos...seems like constrction is now at the final stage. There's a Union Bank signage on top.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p1f9e3ba3e848429e54b4a9af01b6784b/f9aeb446.jpg


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p025ed10d195d28703a3301edc8442487/f9aeb45a.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p26b78272378026d36d1159552ea0e738/f9aeb469.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p9faa28a3c9cf2357e24077dc9ce80d64/f9aeb46c.jpg

The Worm View...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p5223f51cc1c7c611702533d7e21e3a4f/f9aeb463.jpg

Dog's view (LOL, just kidding)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p830fc59d9ea439815b5817e674d95c1c/f9aebf8f.jpg

Human's view...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/p8e14fdd30a5bdee31aa852e1ed7e6d62/f9d55f16.jpg

Each side is unique...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/p6349c8b91fd27f461e890dc14497abba/f9d55f2d.jpg

nice pics. This building is so weird and unique...But it looks great anyways...I wonder how the elevators work, they are probably on the tallest side of the building.

Woah... great shots you got there!

The UnionBank sign's been put up for so long already - as far as I know. Or maybe I'm just getting messed up.

Anyway, the design - to me - looks like three or four buildings combined with some of their corners sticking out of the sides... weird, but unique...

Oh yeah, the very tip looks like HSBC's Enterprise...

some elevators go only halfway i guess, then the others go from the upper half to the top. and those must be the ones that are placed at the tallest side of the building. haha...i think we need to sneak thru this tower to figure that out.

Originally posted by absent-minded

Woah... great shots you got there!

The UnionBank sign's been put up for so long already - as far as I know. Or maybe I'm just getting messed up.

Anyway, the design - to me - looks like three or four buildings combined with some of their corners sticking out of the sides... weird, but unique...

Oh yeah, the very tip looks like HSBC's Enterprise...

I see what you're saying. It looks like there is one main building with three or four other buildings stuck inside it at a diagonal angle:D

yeah...weirdo, but nicely done!!! we need more of this.
the podium is not really bad as what ive thought before.
i took a lot of worm views of this tower, but did not scan them all.

haha, i thought you were refering to me. anyway, i'd be posting my ortigas centre pics later.

now that i've found the right cd-r with the right document i am ready to post.

ORTIGAS PART 01

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid60/p604ab49663a40df46f8b2a7f8b93d701/fc52c713.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid55/p6b276e33ddd8cdc1b615f57e77bc5a79/fc7fac24.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid58/pab4da2574f55d8e233ee029c5c1001d3/fc607ca7.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid61/p9c40917d4d874f501215b3dfbb50a124/fc3aa687.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p8b42d96fc3392f81161b3de059f5913c/fb89d2dc.jpg

ORTIGAS PART 02

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p77a4eaddd464a6b964d68b0090db2850/fb89d1d0.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p8269635fca3dfef296bfa43c64219745/fb89d034.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p89144b47b09be40a9d478889ac5a6f5c/fb89ceac.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p9facfee6c375ff5fc37ae542d89bdc1e/fb89cde9.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p4e1a33e745d9eb1d839da93f62a6727c/fb821c3e.jpg

ORTIGAS PART 03

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p3a84f24ab3812026d68c017bdaf7c1c7/fb821bfe.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p99d001b28a6001b25af3955ccef84f23/fb821b72.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p7a4ce7b538204fff02ea6d29056121ec/fb821b0d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p3a481ccfb74e1761f9154045d4e0268d/fb82195c.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p8db41f70b5bb5584237935126b51f5e8/fb821928.jpg

ORTIGAS PART 04

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p156cf0866eebb878f0092f25a956ce46/fb821903.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/pe83e680e95e24187938d767ebec2e655/fb81dfdb.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p9f11ab7dd78718e84641152094934711/fb5dfc3c.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p902dcbb7b13ade653ab57c5782426e05/fb5dfbf7.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p5a8394e0d6fd54421ccd5ea7eda71b87/fb5dfbb5.jpg

ORTIGAS PART 05

the last one. dalawa na lang pala. dapat sinama ko na sa last one.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p3aa66315dc6143bb1f720f50687dfb1c/fb5e09c1.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid79/pd385796bb654d8d57c0db58e4d785ef8/fb10a08b.jpg

Originally posted by weirdo

haha, i thought you were refering to me. anyway, i'd be posting my ortigas centre pics later.

me too, i had trouble figuring out what he meant:D

Your Ortigas pics are classics:) Ortigas is pretty dense!!

so Union Bank Plaza still isn't occupied? wow.. that's been a long time..

anyone have greenhills skyline photos? :)

Im sorry for that guys. I just think Weirdo would be the Filipino term for weird. Right?
Haha...There goes my fave Ortigas photos. makes Ortigas look dense and clean. simply putting mine to shame :D ...again.

Edmund, i got night photos...but we have to make another thread for that. Could you pls? :D

this is too big...cud someone help out?
http://www.geocities.com/franciss_19/74100019.txt

Originally posted by weirdo
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p3a481ccfb74e1761f9154045d4e0268d/fb82195c.jpg

what building is this? I haven't seen it around - or maybe I forgot it. looks nice, especially the way they were able to blend the glass with the cement...

btw, what are the white, pyramid-topped twins accross Megamall called? they are still under construction now - or maybe construction's already been halted. why?

The white pyramid topped twin buildings are BSA Twin Towers. They are currently on hold (structurally finished, interior and finishing touches still pending) because the developer has had some problems. We just received news lately that they will continue sometime this year.

I also forgot the name of that building, but yeah they did blend the glass nicely with the cement/concrete.

oh... no wonder the twins look as if they've been abandoned...

Originally posted by renell

so Union Bank Plaza still isn't occupied? wow.. that's been a long time..

nope, it hasn't been opened yet... almost done though. Looks like they're starting to peel off the plastic covering of the cladding at the main entrance...

Originally posted by absent-minded

nope, it hasn't been opened yet... almost done though. Looks like they're starting to peel off the plastic covering of the cladding at the main entrance...

Really? It was supposed to be done more than a year ago! So you could say that this is THE ONLY OFFICE TOWER CURRENTLY U/C...:D

well technically it isn't under construction anymore:D

Originally posted by absent-minded

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p3a481ccfb74e1761f9154045d4e0268d/fb82195c.jpg

what building is this? I haven't seen it around - or maybe I forgot it. looks nice, especially the way they were able to blend the glass with the cement...

btw, what are the white, pyramid-topped twins accross Megamall called? they are still under construction now - or maybe construction's already been halted. why?

That is the Astorial Plaza. Its a full service apartelle.

it looks quite nice isn't it? with the green glass and such.

Astorial? or Astoria?

queetz made a typo..its Astoria i think. its design is clean and modern

yes, it's Astoria. it doesn't look so good at close glance tho.

yeah that's called astoria. i think the developer tried to save money on the curtain wall cladding, it's painted instead. designed by a known architectural firm Gensler that design the world trade center in manila also.

but it worked well anyways...glass and concrete wall is quite nice.

yep, it still looks quite nice, and quite colorful too

So lovely!The golden sunlight gives this romantic elegance to Ortigas.

more ortigas pics from weirdo's imagestation.

discovery
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p88f6ba06a7206f659f05605822f96f60/fb81df7c.jpg

goks and cityland ortigas
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/pd604b3d5389c31d6a7fe5b269c2e1603/fb81df47.jpg

rob equitable tower
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid72/p15a6cd75b296a9085cb4a3673f3f267a/fb81de36.jpg

if there are errors please correct. thanks

ortigas set 02

another one
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/pf96a7d5dcd7d56e1bb60babab1340baf/fb5e0946.jpg

i forgot the name
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p0c0da0c729f3db6b4bdcf40d5fe315e6/fb5e08a8.jpg

sanmig
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/pf05dcfde2490d735787521e44f4322e5/fb89cf76.jpg

set 03

crappy bsa towers ortigas
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/pe734de1852082a7d87e63b9f6a2fb86e/fb89d112.jpg

smb hq
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p2ec6320a8beefffe7e3b0fecb05d49a3/fb89d435.jpg

dunno the name
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p2198e2442bbf786c01f3a412dc278498/fb89d538.jpg

set 04

richmonde etc
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p3adfdd4eea0ae734823c432880cb237d/fb89d661.jpg

osma 01
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/pfc7b3253e8c81b49202413774fbc788c/fb89d798.jpg

osma 02
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid71/p671242e67499dfbdd6c847988516668f/fb89d888.jpg

Robinsons Equitable-PCI building and Discovery Center are beautiful in those pics!

last set

rotting bsa twins
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid61/p57517916ace4b2b1ee9bacff770895f4/fc3aa1c1.jpg

cool scraper with uncool top and crappy base
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p5525de5d4a6a655608ed1f487bd49768/fb5dfc16.jpg

i rate this 0/10. joke lang.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/p72a10182ada7aae0dd3cb328f871160e/fb5dfcc5.jpg

Quite a lot of buildings in Ortigas have a crappy base....weird.

SM-KS has a good one though - Podium.

yeah. sayang esp that scraper on the last pic i posted.

osma has a good base.

great pictures weirdo! so what's the update on BSA twin towers? do they have of plans of finishing it? i wonder what happened to the buyers?

i havent bothered seeing the pics, i only have a modem, but there's no doubt they're great.

i dunno whether i can take Ortigas shots.. i rarely go to that part of MM. but i do have a lot of Manila pics.

thanks edmund.

renell, nevermind ortigas. the more manila pics the merrier!

the bankcrupted (sp?) ASB Realty is planning to get things done for its residentical projects late this year.

edited...

You mean the developers of BSA are gonna get it done by the end of the year?

Just take pics of where ever you are, renell! Just bring the camera where ever you go.

im not sure if ill be visiting that part of the Metro.

but shit, that BSA is looking damn fugly

We would have to wait till BSA is 100% done before we judge it;)

Good Job Anthony...that one with crappy base and uncool (hot?) top is Antel Global Corpor8 Center (right?). i think, it's nicer than it's cousin in makati. (Antel 2000)...

now what about my Ortigas Part 2? hehe...here it goes...this time, the group pics...Afternoon/Night photos... right after or before sundown.

Trying to get away with the power lines. no good tho.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/pfb8cd0c9adeaea760bea6d6c44a9559b/f9aeb461.jpg

This was taken before sundown
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/pfbbfc1865dde15d69654e72f5da48ee6/f9d555a0.jpg

Do i have to name them?
Too bad i only got a standard 50mm lens. depth of field wasnt so good.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/p4109af7158dd2a70ca0d585ebc0f4219/f9d56236.jpg

This is what we call...focusing on the wrong subject. hahaha...but with a skyscraper fanatic like me, ill think i did it better than focusing on the lightpost. :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/p66b986412de418369213b16b39ae6af8/f9d56ace.jpg

Afternoon...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid101/p65a528e220656cae99631b69d348b664/f9d570f6.jpg

Night...(i am yet to figure out how to take night pics when i took this one, that explains it)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/pb5434a2d956b327dbc5bc2c330698d25/f9aeb42b.jpg

MERALCO wants P E A C E
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p772a8047b53a01667a1a4f727f463b2a/f9aeb454.jpg

Amazingly, this is my only Ortigas photo with BSA twins on it
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p91efd9ce8df383c2f62c9aca7bee119d/f9aeb453.jpg

and hey guys...it's final...the AIC tower behind Cityland Shaw is going to be a med rise one...probly 20 floors or less. so now, it's considered topped off.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p484e44c06e974c6254c7114db2397558/f9aeb468.jpg

Residentials...http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/pa43c74388d9c0959d2b37552178b8a6f/f9aebf8e.jpg

Orient square, et al...im quite amused with slanted photos. no powerlines visible this time.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/pcd3529a815ad72c91913e95619c71075/f9aebf89.jpg

watch out for batch 3. hehe...uv seen them before. ull see them again. thanks.

Cool! Lighting is gorgous... excellent pics. you are becoming a better and better photographer, france. In no time you will be a night shot expert!:okay:

LOL...me career ba dun? hehehe...

hahahah dunno...

The more i see Discovery Center, the more i like it!!:)

discovery would look better if it were taller. actually a lot of Ortigas scrapers would look better if they were taller

Yeah i agree. Buildings that should have been taller are Discovery, ASB Malayan Plaza and Robinsons Equitable (even though it is already fine the way it is).

thanks for all those nice photos guys!

i think Ortigas lacks height, but ironically, it was also here where the tallest buildings have been proposed e.g Skycity, SM-KS, AIC Complex buildings

that's true renell but ortigas have no master planning at all. the roads are small and no park at all. the ortigas should do some urban planning and improve it to be more competitive!

yeah... i agree.... the only bit of trees you see there are at thee San Miguell complex... and that is almost nothing... they should repave the roads and redo the islands and sidewalks cuz everything looks like a mess in there.

i agree absent-minded, it looks like the ortigas center was built without any planning =( too nab because it does have good buildings!

This is the HSBC building in Ortigas. I dunno the real name. I just took a picture for fun - around December/January... nothing special about the building though.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid108/p20ddfa9962f30f286994787b611ea30d/f9446252.jpg

I've been inside this building last year with my two classmates when we are still looking for jobs. I already forgot what floor we've reached. yeah, nothing special reminds me about this building.

that's true renell but ortigas have no master planning at all. the roads are small and no park at all. the ortigas should do some urban planning and improve it to be more competitive!

I agree. Ortigas was not planned very well. It has small concrete streets instead of wide aspalt avenues. It hardly has any parks and open spaces. It has only a few trees and has overhead powerlines. Lastly, its layout is not very good as it uses an old grid type layout that is not ideal for traffic flow.

Imo, Makati CBD, BGC, Filinvest and Bay City has better planning.

GreyX
i agree with you. but if they really want to make ortigas center to be more competitive it's not too late. they could beautify what's existing. like redo the sidewalk, put in better looking street light. alight the streets with uniform tress.

Yes! The only they can do is aspalt the road, plant more trees, redo the sidewalks, beautify the area and most importantly, MAKE THE POWERLINES INTO UNDERGROUND ONES!!!

Other than that, BGC will beat the hell out of Ortigas in terms of planning, appearance and skyline (expected).

but despite all my ortigas trashing, its still got a great, dense skyline with some nicely designed scrapers:)

imo BGC is the best master planned is the country! nothing even come close to it. it's huge and location wise it's very strategic located.


beleive ortigas got so densed because it was a lot cheaper than makati back then during the boom.

i think so too...
and the buildings are very close together.
im thinking they would rub at each other on a moderate earthquake.
if you would walk around Ortigas, u would notice there was really no City planning done on this area. everything just came about out of nowhere. and there are quite a few unfinished structures coutesy of AIC Realty.

well, the ortigas still owns ortigas?

I'm guessing, yes.

The Ortigas developers didnt really plan out the district well. I think they just plotted grid like streets and waited for something to happen. And something did happen, many offices moved to Ortigas due to its low prices compared to Makati and the low vacancy rate in Makati during the business boom.

and ortigas center have a great location, center of MM. well, it's not too late, i hope they do someting to make ortigas more cempetitive!

yeah... I hope the Ortigases finally do something about the Ortigas business district. Nearly as baad as the Greenhills shopping complex they also own and maintain. seems like they do absoolutely no planning at all before starting on projects - even at GH. they decide to build ugly parking buildings in any open area and renovate little chunks of the mall which - because of how bad they've become - would've been better off being rebuilt.

I forgot about the above ground power lines. those things kill - so fudging ugly!! I just hop they redevlop parts of Ortigas soon... sidewalks, roads, tree-planting, and power lines. the Ortigas center's roads are so narrow they could never fit a monorail - much less LRT/MRT - in there...

I agree... the FBGC is the most nicely planned as far. but anything kicks the Ortigas Center's ass...

All good points, absent. too bad they missed the planning part of developing Ortigas. But still, as a whole, the lack of planning has made a very dense and respectable skyline:)

where you able to capture some Ortigas pics, renell?

hm.. i haven't been much to Ortigas Center. but it's avenues aren't as wide as Ayala, Makati, or Gil Puyat avenues

All good points, absent. too bad they missed the planning part of developing Ortigas. But still, as a whole, the lack of planning has made a very dense and respectable skyline:)

where you able to capture some Ortigas pics, renell?

i took some pics from Rockwell. but i didn't go to that part of the Metro

yeah i dont like ortigas...

why dun u? just look up, and never mind the city planning, streets, etc. it has great malls, biggest ones in the metro...plus some of the best skyscrapers. a lot of boxes tho...and unfinished u/cs.

here's an old scan of Ortigas
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid47/p63b14c29481c60fb2fa1e60489ca936b/fcc66be1.jpg

why dun u? just look up, and never mind the city planning, streets, etc. it has great malls, biggest ones in the metro...plus some of the best skyscrapers. a lot of boxes tho...and unfinished u/cs.

i am impressed by ortigas. screw the shitty plan. ortigas rocks da house. nyek korni pangit pakinggan.

nga pala, been to one small condo (wackwack area) in ortigas a few days ago. ganda ng view ng ortigas from the rooftop. lalo na san juan. ang ganda ng foreground puro greens. shempre pang golf. sayang wala akong camera. :(

sayang talaga... Would have been awesome with tree lined subdivisions and the green wack-wack golf course in the foreground and Ortigas behind it. Next time.:)

Ortigas from Wack-Wack Golf Course. Originally posted by Sunking, thanks!:)

http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/22080/wackwackeastcoursehole16.jpg

So that should be similar to the view you saw, right weirdo. Only you saw it from a higher level.

mahusay! :applause: I love that shot! :)

Great Shot GreyX. too bad weirdo wasnt able to bring his cam. what happened to your digicam anthony? i have a workmate who'se uncle lives on one condo near Wack wack. my teammates were supposed to have their Xmas party up there...siguro sa pool...and i planned to come along, just to sneak thru the top, pero they ended up celebrating it near Vito Cruz...i forgot the name of the Grill resto. so i was left with no reason to go along.

GreyX, what about a version of the pic above showing the top of ASB...soon, we would see it occupied. it's slated for completion late this year, if i heard it right.

central park-ish. ;)

I would say that Ortigas Center also have a very good view from Rosario Pasig... the center is on a high area that from afar you could see the grandeur of the skyscrapers there specially those on Meralco Avenue...

for this area specially along Ortigas Avenue... it saddened me that many of the high rise condominiums and buildings there have halted their construction... specially the SkyCity Tower on the corner of EDSA and Ortigas, in front of POEA and beside SEC... (http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=105141).. which should become the tallest in the country... because of the residents of Corinthian Gardens....

these buildings could have created a better Ortigas skyline....;D

@ Francis, i didnt take that picture. Sunking did:D

Awesome shot, Sunking....the best Ortigas shot yet!

I agree with rico, it looks central-parkish:D

I guess the only true Central Park-like park here in Metro Manila is Rizal Park. It's free and open to the general public.

You could also factor in the Quezon City eliptical circle....And maybe CCP, although its not really a park. People usually hang out in baywalk, nowadays.

You could also factor in the Quezon City eliptical circle....And maybe CCP, although its not really a park. People usually hang out in baywalk, nowadays.
maybe in the future, the government can take back these golf courses and convert them into public parks so that more people can enjoy them.

Golf courses into parks? Not a bad idea, the people will have a clubhouse, waterholes where they could feed ducks, sandtraps for the little tykes...:D

A pretty good idea, but for sure golfers (like my dad) and golf courses wouldnt agree with that. Golfers are very passionate on their sport:D

Yeah, imagine their shares turning into dust!

pero they ended up celebrating it near Vito Cruz...i forgot the name of the Grill resto.

familiar ata tong place na to. parang dito kami laging nag iinuman. :cheers: or i was thinking about another grill.

A pretty good idea, but for sure golfers (like my dad) and golf courses wouldnt agree with that. Golfers are very passionate on their sport:D

marami pa namang magagandang golf courses. hehe. saka mas maganda pag sa labas na lang ng metro yan. pero dapat ayus traffic para di hassle sa golfers kung ganun. anyway, sa hirap ng gobiyerno malayo mangyari yan. baka patay na tayong lahat. hehe.

Central Park-ish. :lol:

A pretty good idea, but for sure golfers (like my dad) and golf courses wouldnt agree with that. Golfers are very passionate on their sport:D

I think it was Concepcion who was planning on building a golf course for the public. Pang masa daw ba... Don't know what happened to it.

golf is a boring sport for the elite, or the best. it's either you like it or not. i'd see pinoys play more bball than golf, lol:D

phils should introduce more varied sports.. soccer isnt really catching on.. maybe establish a Baseball league like Japan, or better supported Soccer league.. Basketball seems to be the only other sport in phils that cuts it with the gen. public.. mayb with the exception of Sabong.. :crazy:

We already have baseball fields in some private schools, not to mention the Rizal Memorial Stadium...

A lot of the rich Filipinos and business men love golf. But yeah, for the masses and for the young, Basketball is much more popular.

Of all the sports, golf is on the last of my lists. boring. Buti pa ang Lawn Tennis.

Golf is extremely boring to watch. But its pretty fun if you play it. But it is very frustrating though. Also really long.

basketball isn't the only masa sport i guess. we have lots of B sports... basketball, boxing, bowling, billiards and badminton.

i heard badminton is really big now, even in the provinces. :D

Yeah! Badminton is a really big thing there right now! Everybody is starting to play it. And badminton courts are doing really well, always full.

we should move this topic to the sports thread;)

phils should introduce more varied sports.. soccer isnt really catching on.. maybe establish a Baseball league like Japan, or better supported Soccer league.. Basketball seems to be the only other sport in phils that cuts it with the gen. public.. mayb with the exception of Sabong.. :crazy:

i think indoor sports will be good for pinoys since most of us dont really like the sun, or too much of it. badminton, swimming, martial art sports. boxing sounds good too.

in conclusion, i would have to say that we pinoys are so maarte...:D

in conclusion, i would have to say that we pinoys are so maarte...:D

generally, yes..I agree with you.. :wallbash:

we hate the sun just us those from the north (canada maybe) hate the snow. fair enough. :D

well, not necessarily maarte. just too much of it does get into someone's head. though not true for most caucasians... :D

I love the sun. I love the snow. I don't know.... maybe I just don't belong to north and south.

Filipinos should try competing in the XGames for a change (Winter and/or Summer games). Maybe they'll have more luck winning in that arena than at the Olympics!

Formula One is one sport pinoys should be good at. Jenson Button said it was possible, when he visited couple years ago. We have some big buck sponsors out there in the country, and being small is actually a plus in the sport :D

Here's a pic I took from the window of a hotel room in Edsa Shangri-la. Pardon my ignorance, but what's that tall building to the left?

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid119/p7a5f5b47902ae84944789d431e873c4b/f8770dde.jpg

That would be One San Miguel Drive.

Mike, One San Miguel Avenue. :D
The only tower in the Philippines that's 100% Pinoy architectural wise.

how is it 100% pinoy architectural wise? :?

i mean the people behind it. all Pinoys. ive read.
Weirdo has the copy of the mag, could you confirm pls Anthony?

Yeah it was an Filipino architectural firm that designed and engineered that building.

Formula One is one sport pinoys should be good at. Jenson Button said it was possible, when he visited couple years ago. We have some big buck sponsors out there in the country, and being small is actually a plus in the sport :D

Give it some time and i bet there will be a Filipino F1 driver soon. There are lots of them in Formula 3, F3000, Formula BMW, Formula Renault, etc... yeah, our size is very suitable for the sport.:D

to stay on topic, how about a street circuit on Ortigas, or Makati? that would increase motor racing awareness :D

we have to build more raceways in the phils though if we really want to get grassroots drivers. :D

true. an annual national race would be nice. like our own Monaco GP. :)

:lol: a race in Makati or Ortigas with all our potholes!!:lol: No way...

Plus we already have good racing circuits in Subic and Carmona. They just need to be upgraded to become F1 certified. Or they can build a totally new one. It will surely boost tourism. Sepang in Malaysia is really bringing in a lot of tourists, especially during F1 weekend.

chaos, an ex flip forumer in ssc has some photos in imagesphilippines

maybe some missed his beautiful shots of ortigas center. and some werent able to see those pics. so lemme post some.

enjoy

http://www.imagesphilippines.com/images/041504_114455.jpg

http://www.imagesphilippines.com/images/041504_114617.jpg

weirdo seems very active now in posting beautiful pics. :D

Beautiful...i wish Chaos kept posting here, he is a great photographer.

One San Miguel is a beautiful tower. Hopefully more 100% Filipino produced highrises will emerge, that would be unique.

:lol: a race in Makati or Ortigas with all our potholes!!:lol: No way...

Plus we already have good racing circuits in Subic and Carmona. They just need to be upgraded to become F1 certified. Or they can build a totally new one. It will surely boost tourism. Sepang in Malaysia is really bringing in a lot of tourists, especially during F1 weekend.


the streets of Makat CBD is very well maintained. don't see why it's impossible. let me get my map

Well, its better if they build a circuit. They wouldnt want to halt the city for a race... Plus there are security reasons, you know RP and its terrorist threats.

Well, its better if they build a circuit. They wouldnt want to halt the city for a race... Plus there are security reasons, you know RP and its terrorist threats. well u kno that Malaysia also has its terrorist threats from the JI, and an extremist opposition party as well.. but the reason i believe its better hosting the F1 at Sepang is probably because the Malaysian police are known to be well funded and very tight.. can u imagine Filipino intelligence and security forces in comparison to Malaysia's.. (not very impressive :lol::lol: )

true too, not only has pinas got the JI and Abu sayyaf to contend with, but also the NPA, Hostage-taking gangs and MILF! :crazy:

maybe its better its at Sepang :lol:

no...what i mean is, security reasons of doing a race in Makati or Ortigas. It is fine doing it in an actual race track as they can control things easier... (for example, a person with a rocket launcher can easily hide inside a building and shoot down the audience or a F1 car....god forbid)

i see.. :D sorr ha :lol:

Well, then, i have no objection:D:D.. but WHERE do we suggest the track to be??.. ermm. let me guess.. better near clark or subic.. we could call it the "Kralc" or "Cibus" track LOL

I know that the Paragon is not part of the Ortigas Center... but since I don't know where to put it... this is the nearest place... I took this yesterday after alighting at Boni MRT to take pictures of GA Tower while walking home along EDSA...:D

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid121/p299edfc86cba708e0f33810ef83489e4/f8555707.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid121/p2f514ccb8b9c2622b748fb9740a8edd5/f8555800.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid121/pcdf0f862ff89306bd4874a716559ab9f/f8555d6e.jpg

thanks pau_p1.

Is that where the Globe HQ is?

isnt the Globe HQ in Ayala ave?... oh wait, that's Smart..

im not sure, but if thats not it, i think it could be those reddish-colored twins.

nice looking building, but quite wide on the sides.how tall is it?

I dont think that is the Globe HQ. It is the two reddish twins behind Robinsons Gateway Mall and Condo. Somewhere along Pioneer street.

yeah that place where the new yorkish makati pic was taken...

thanks the photos weirdo and pau! hmmm...pau pls keep on taking photos!

actually paragon is a pretty neat looking bldg. and high also....

I agree. When i was younger and when Paragon was still u/c i thought it was the tallest building in MM. Right now, its all alone in its location....but when the Greenfield development project pushes through it will definitely be surrounded by a dense skyline.

Globe HQ is not seen in the pic... it is at the right side of the MRT station... and they (3 towers) are peach in color... along Boni ave or Pioneer st.

yeah.. Paragon seemed alone amidst the Industrial plants... also, if the Greenfield project pushes through... it is still quite far from the district...

the center of this picture is the Globe Towers.. with the Paragon and the New Edsa Central Mall which is part of the Greenfield project... I took this from the Greenfield mall of the Shaw MRT station southbound side...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/p1ebd86aca05237c0aabb3e102b697480/f89594e7.jpg

nice pic..only for the wires...

Ortigas = awesome
awesome = I like..
man.. ortigas rockssss

those wires power up MRT Lines.
btw, that Paragon Tower is indeed nice!
I was still in High school when it was at preselling stage. When i went to college, i got to see the real thing.

Yuk...the MRT looks so dirty in that picture.

^ LOL thats the prob with MRT. they dont maintain the overhead-track :lol: at least they should paint it white or yellow :lol::lol:

yeah...mrt looks very dirty from all the pollution =(

yeah.. too much pollution on EDSA has indeed caused that... even the outer walls of the Greenfield MRT Mall is so dirty...:(

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p708fd486d3ce458f19e66cc5d63dfa2a/f839efe3.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p689d355233ce40050f0df1a3a6f6004e/f839faff.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pdc709b33d781ae1dc739fec9e31522e0/f839faca.jpg
California Gardens is not part of the Ortigas Center.. but.. this is the closest place..:D

pastel commie blocks... i really don't like the paint job. they look like giant marshmallows.

haha....its a proj of Empire East. We featured that once before. I mean CA Garden State. It has its cousin in Greenhills...you probably see that Pau. The towers basically look similar. Only differences in heights. The floors are bilevels.

yeah... and another cousin is the San Francisco Gardens... but they have smaller buildings...

im back.. lol.. those pics are awesome.. it reminds me of europe (those pink house or building).. and the skyline reminds me of LA... well, beside im here in Long beach, Cali right now.. for our family vacation.. :)

WB back Mike...aka The Pride. What about checking out my question at the Roll call thread? Hehe...Thanks for clarifying that Pau. Btw, Empire East is Megaworld's arm catering the middle income market that could not afford the more hi-end Megaworld projects.

WB back Mike...aka The Pride. What about checking out my question at the Roll call thread? Hehe...Thanks for clarifying that Pau. Btw, Empire East is Megaworld's arm catering the middle income market that could not afford the more hi-end Megaworld projects.

thanks.. haha.. i got it! :cheers:

Anyone been to the new restaurant complex at the Payanig grounds? I saw the other day that Starbucks is now open. I wonder what their plans are regarding the structures that were earlier built to house the Minggoy's, Little Caesar's, Lin Tzu and the Brother's Burger.

With the flyover now nearing completion, it looks like that old location will be quite dead and the gleaming new restaurant complex at the Payanig grounds will now be better placed to catch the flow of traffic coming from both above the flyover and below it.

Where is the Payanig grounds? Trying to imagine it but I don't recognize the name.

BTW, welcome to the forums!

Where is the Payanig grounds? Trying to imagine it but I don't recognize the name.

BTW, welcome to the forums!

Thanks for the welcome. The Payanig grounds is the track of land near the Meralco and Ortigas Buildings that is bounded by the Meralco Avenue. It's called such because it's the old location of the old "Payanig Sa Pasig" carnival a decade back. It's actually just outside the boundaries of the Ortigas Center.

The MC Home Depot currently occupies part of it but now there is a new two-storey dining complex that is about to open. When completed, I think diners will be treated to a good view of the mountains of Antipolo and the vacant rolling hills that stretches all the way to C-5.

This is the latest attempt by Ortigas to become a dining haven after several false starts. I hope they succeed in this endeavor!

here are some pictures I took for Ortigas...:D

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pc7f6075eeaef469339f072eeca0c2e1d/f82e5cb4.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p365441a2ed36186a77aacd52ea2ec8c6/f82e5caa.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p7f5cb1cece3e1a432df2d413e6a0cf57/f82e3e01.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pddf1509ed758375683a7105c4af39eac/f82e5c66.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p5fc9d622f99999fb74eab93fa962460a/f82e3f9f.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p45359737cd7d465ada081d6d38b80e8b/f82e5c41.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pcbfd0b28d611177e7303683b77b9078a/f82e5c1f.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/pd3e7c6704963868daf6e3aa111daf3a0/f82e5977.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid122/p72b1c124012f8a1d284ac4c7469e6898/f82e5967.jpg

great photos pau....i wish they retained the original exterior color sheme of shangrila mall. i dont like the new coffee color.

those pics reminds me of downtown San Francisco.. lol.. i have a question, wheres the downtown of Manila or metro manila.? makati right?

those pics reminds me of downtown San Francisco.. lol.. i have a question, wheres the downtown of Manila or metro manila.? makati right?

I think when people say "downtown" Manila, they generally refer to the Binondo-Avenida-Quiapo-Recto area, which is in the City of Manila.

This is the old center of commerce and trade in Metro Manila before the ascendancy of Makati and outlying suburbs.

in the morning, megamall looks like one big "ugly" billboard. it's beautiful at night though. :D

yeah... downtown means center of business right?.... well yeah.. that would be the Quiapo, Sta. Cruz and Binondo areas.... Makati is a different city....

yeah... downtown means center of business right?.... well yeah.. that would be the Quiapo, Sta. Cruz and Binondo areas.... Makati is a different city....

are those the market places? where people buy stuff.. ?

Quiapo and Sta. Cruz are filled with market places and stalls and bargains.... while Binondo is the Chinatown... the 3 areas are adjacent to each other... and they are the center of trade since the Spanish era...

Quiapo and Sta. Cruz are filled with market places and stalls and bargains.... while Binondo is the Chinatown... the 3 areas are adjacent to each other... and they are the center of trade since the Spanish era...

oh ok.. i see.. thanks.. because i thought at first that makati is downtown of metro manila and because thats where those tall buildings are..

i thought downtown literally means the districts below the pasig river like intramuros, ermita, paco, malate and san andres while uptown consists of the districts above the river like sampaloc, tondo, binondo, quiapo and santa cruz. :) :weirdo:

hahaha...what about those metropolis without rivers Weirdo? oh btw, bat ka lulubog lilitaw sa forum? busy eh? :D
based on several discussions before, i got this idea that Downtown MM is Quiapo? right? and Makati was just one financial district which later on became stand alone City.

malas nila wala silanag rivers. hehe. joke lang.

more pictures: :)

http://obfuscati0n.org/random/ortigas.jpg

http://obfuscati0n.org/random/ortigas2.jpg

http://obfuscati0n.org/random/orti3.jpg

http://obfuscati0n.org/random/orti4.jpg

http://obfuscati0n.org/random/orti5.jpg

^ It was rainy that day, but you could still see the twin towers there right? :)

nice!!! I love that first tower you posted! I keep forgetting the name. I like that best in Ortigas. hehe... Shangrila Mall looks nice. they just renovated it, right? very well maintained, especially on the inside. and they repainted the hotel some light blue? or part of it... that's what I saw last end of may...

i like the last pic! hehehe...
the first pic is One San Miguel Ave. I thought it was a building owned by SMC. but its not. dun like it so much. the top is so crappy. parang pigeon hole daw. i wonder where the helipad is. pero ayos na rin. without the top, i like it. Union bank tower is still me fave Ortigas Tower.

thanks pau! yeah the building on the first photo is tall and one of the good looking ones in ortigas. but there are others good looking building there too but shorter.

i like the original color of shangrila better =( the new color looks vert ordinary

edmund... Kiel posted those pictures.. not me.. hehehe :D

more pictures: :)

http://obfuscati0n.org/random/orti5.jpg

^ It was rainy that day, but you could still see the twin towers there right? :)

yeah...nice. I like the way you took it, my first time to see such kind of rainy pic. :D

opps mistake =) thanks kiel! =)

haha!! the top was what I liked about the One San Mig Ave building!! haha... and part of the sides. they should take out the two skinny little towers at the top though. don't see what they're for...

I think they are antennas for the tenants... plus maybe lightning rods..

They're now finishing one of AIC Grande Tower (the one beside AIC Gold Tower).
Wasn't this supposed to be 50 something floors?
http://www.geocities.com/a_ofngol/aic_malayan.txt

There's not much progress on Malayan Plaza.
How many of its units are sold?
http://www.geocities.com/a_ofngol/malayan_plaza.txt

BTW, what happened to Edsa Shang? I saw it being painted with a different color recently but now it's white again? Weird.

yeah... a small part of it was light blue last may and the rest white. maybe they were just repainting it. the white was getting old anyway...

According to s.com AIC Grande Tower was supposed to have 52 floors.
Here's the original rendering from s.com
http://www.geocities.com/a_ofngol/AIC_grande.txt
Very far from the current look of the building.

none of the AIC's have been topped off, or even gone past halfway.

Malayan Plaza is going slow, man. at least it's topped off, but i thought it would have been finished 6 months ago

Ortigas and Mandaluyong Pano that I took from SM Centerpoint's Parking.

http://www.geocities.com/aaron_ofngol/ortigas_mandaluyong_pano.txt

none of the AIC's have been topped off, or even gone past halfway.

Malayan Plaza is going slow, man. at least it's topped off, but i thought it would have been finished 6 months ago

one of AIC is topped off...i dunno. that one on the right most of the cluster. btw, the other tower i guess is also topped off. but only has 20+ storeys. maybe smaller than the original plan.

btw, nice pic there Thomasian...im quite compelled to guess when u took that pic. was it last week's sunday? right?

the ortigas skyline looks quite good from there! seems to be really stretched out. just not as dense as Makati...

francis, i know one of them has topped off, but i was referring to the massive AIC complex that never made it far

btw, nice pic there Thomasian...im quite compelled to guess when u took that pic. was it last week's sunday? right?

Yeah, you're right. How did you know?

Sweet pano, Thomasian. Ortigas looks great. Too bad the foreground is quite ugly.

hey what's that u/c near Summit One?

That's Lee Gardens. Its construction is really slow, I wonder whats taking them so long.

aah.. ive seen its renderings. quite a nice addition to the skyline.

Here are some of my Ortigas photos:

Ortigas skyline from C-5/Ortigas Avenue flyover:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/93Ortigas_C5.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/93Ortigas_C5-1.jpg

Ortigas from BGC with Speedy Zone karting in the foreground:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/93Sunset_BGC-Ortigas.jpg

The Ortigas Skyline is getting bigger every year...and this is good! :)

the ortigas line actually looks longer than makati to me... just needs to be fattened up - with more high-end office buildings and condos this time.

oh yeah, is the UnionBank tower complted already?

yes it is...but i doubt if its already occupied. when we see the signage to light up, probably, that would mean its already occupied. but since its an office tower, im sure it would still take some more time before it gets companies transfer their offices to the building. Nway, hopefully it gets PEZA certification to attract business process outsourcing companies.

haven't seen much difference in Ortigas' skyline.
what's cool about Ortigas is that if you look at one viewpoint there's a different skyscraper that stands out. from one angle it can be One San Mig, other view it can be Union Bank Plaza

btw, where's that go-kart place?:D i know there's one in Roxas blvd, the one in Rockwell will be removed sooner or later because of Joya, and one in Subic..

Renell, the go-kart place in Rockwell is gone. the Joya Lofts site already has fencing around it. That Karting place in my picture is in BGC, next to MC Depot. It is the best in the country...

yeah, from some angles One San Mig dominates, in another it is BSA Twin towers, while in the back, it is Union Bank.

Ortigas Skyline looks quite staggered, but it's neatly done with different towers placed side by side. But city planning wise, I quite don't admire this city. Or probably, we have to wait some more years to see a real bustling city!

In its side profile, there are still too many gaps. Still lots of spaces for more skyscrapers!

Ortigas lacks the density Makati has. greyx is right

I think its good that its lacking density, for the fact that the philippines is earthquake proned, so dapat magkalayo yung mga buildings, dahil pag hindi and they are all in different heights, they are in serious trouble. Each building is gonna hit each other, and if their different heights, the shorter one will hit the facade of the other taller building, let say the maller one is half the size, so if that hits the middle part of the taller one, KABOOM!, hopefully nothing bad happens like that, but I think they should just make it look denser, in that they have more buildings but kinda spread out, not super DIKIT DIKIT!, so from far away its just like an illusion that its super dense. :)

i think those tall buildings in Makati and Ortigas are built to withstand earthquakes.

i also read that taller buildings are safer.. anyone back me up on that point?

i understand that, but do you want to take a risk? well, it shouldn't be so dikit, like five feet from each other or something, make it alteast 15 to 20 or so you know, not five...that's just scary. well, i guess i shouldn't be talking, i don't even live there anymore, hee hee, but just suggesting :) :) :)

yeah enoz, you are right. Makati has skyscrapers litarally dikit (stuck together) such as West of Ayala and Burgandy Corporate Center. Even LKG, GT International, PBcom have their base connected to their neighboring buildings. Imo, this is very ugly. There should at least be some space of about 10+ meters.

But what were were saying is that there are lots of large gaps in Ortigas because of the empty spaces/lots. More skyscrapers can still be built on these spaces.

but then again, its not like those towers/skyscrapers will easily collapse from an earthquake. We sure hope they wont.

i don't think though 10 feet would make a difference.

well... that shows that the Makati CBD is not modernly designed unlike the new CBDs in the Metro... Makati seemed to follow the looks of the old New York areas where buildings stand side-to-side to each other.... maybe its land cost is one factor....

I think eNoZaNeWoR is right, hindi dapat dikit-dikit ang mga scrapers.

Even though they are built to withstand earthquake, they are also designed to sway a little to lessen the tension caused by the eartquake on the structure, so when the buildings sway during an earthquake, they may hit each other and cause damage to the facade.

but then again, its not like those towers/skyscrapers will easily collapse from an earthquake.
agree! it was discussed in one of our subjects in college (hanapin ko pala un book ko about dun..hehehe).

i don't think though 10 feet would make a difference.

thats why i said 10 meters;)

And i love skyscrapers and buildings with 4 sides! I dont like bare walls and connected sides (wall street style) in buildings.

we have a lot of those in makati. The Burgundy cluster, Sommerset-Radissons cluster, and soon to be Jaka and neighbor cluster plus a lot of those along the Banker Row.

imo, wall street style for shorter buildings is ok. But for high-rises and skyscrapers its a big NO NO for me. Looks too ugly and just isnt right!

yes, its a NO-NO for us, but it can be a YES-YES for the developers. and hey, these buildings indeed bump at each each other even during a mild earthquake. i've heard experiences like that at Mondragon building. I dunno if i remember it right. I could just feel how far Citibank Tower swayed during an early morning shake few months ago. Don't the WTC Twin Towers sway 5 meters (or feet, i forgot) at the topmost level during a windy day?

well.. I think most of Makati Towers are side-to-side only upto the parking lot level.. and not above it.... though there are some condos that are side-to-side upto top like the three Aguirre St. buildings...

i agree with pau. the Burgundy/West of Ayala case is not common, but an anomaly.

any new residential buildings will want to have views for their buyers. so i doubt they will be blocking a side or two.

Even if the skyscrapers are just connected up to the parking lots, it is still quite ugly. I really wish there was more space between them. As for residentials connecting all the way up (Burgandy/West of Ayala and the three on Aguirre st.) that is seriously ugly. Condos in BGC look much better since they are 4 sided, with spacing.

well in Ayala Avenue, i think it will be far more ugly if there was 5-10m intervals between skyscrapers. it's just like your teeth. imagine if they had millimeters of gaps.

Renell...skyscrapers aren't comparable with teeth. teeth do work collectively, but skyscrapers are stand alone structures.

but we're talking about the skyline here. the skyscrapers work collectively to make a beautiful skyline. teeth are different from each other. it's just they're all white.

the bases the only ones connecting seems alright to me. a total connection of two buildings is just pure crap, i think we can all agree on that. the bases are connected to save on space. the long blocks of space i think shows that it was planned to buildings to connect to each other

What? skyscrapers like teeth? :? No way... Skyscrapers in Jakarta have spaces away from each other. KL, Bangkok, Singapore... All those skyscrapers are 4 sided, and yet still produce a dense skyline (Jakarta is not yet dense because more skyscrapers can still be built). I think there should be driveways for cars to go to lobbies instead of the current state of just avenue then sidewalk and then the building...there should also be room for at least a row of trees between skyscrapers. That still creates a dense skyline and makes a good street level view.

I hope that in our newer CBD's such as BGC and FCC , they will maintain that we can see the four sides of the building. The land is too precious in Makati or in Ortigas that is why they don't want gaps in the buildings.

What? skyscrapers like teeth? :? No way... Skyscrapers in Jakarta have spaces away from each other. KL, Bangkok, Singapore... All those skyscrapers are 4 sided, and yet still produce a dense skyline (Jakarta is not yet dense because more skyscrapers can still be built). I think there should be driveways for cars to go to lobbies instead of the current state of just avenue then sidewalk and then the building...there should also be room for at least a row of trees between skyscrapers. That still creates a dense skyline and makes a good street level view.

well get this
http://www.resortsphilippines.com/Maps/images/Makati.jpg

the streets of Makati are lined up in such a way that most buildings will have to be side by side to each other, whether it be on the base or completely. one block doesn't mean one skyscraper, unless you're talking about a big block like RCBC's or ORT. like cropher said, land is too precious in Makati. in BGC, there was intended to be more green, so there will be the stuff you said. if you look at Makati's older buildings, they are around 5-10 storeys, and they're side by side. it just so happens the recent ones are taller, and some have managed to have 4-sides. that's just the way the Makati CBD goes. and i hope BGC looks differently. definately Rockwell doesn't look like that.

there's a newer version of that map with the elevated walkway and greenbelt on it

is there? this version of a Makati Map is my favorite.

the 2004 edition of the citi atlas....almost the same with some updates----like what i've said the elevated walkway, greenbelt radisson, greenbelt parkplace, one legaspi, etc....

Renell - I see your point. But let me show you that it can be done. And that it is actually nicer and still dense:
Jakarta Jl. Sudirman.
http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~x208403/photo/sudirman1.jpg

I'm just saying that BGC should have 4 sided (or more) buildings. Between the buildings are driveways to parking lots with trees, etc. It just looks great.

Enterprise is the only one that was able to be not exactly wall to wall because of its angle. See, they did it...in Ayala Ave.

yeah true. it does look much better. however space is scarce in the CBD, so therefore they make the best use of it. unfortunatelt it doesn't end up being the best looking buildings.

btw, Petron Megaplaza has used considerably less space for the building. it shows as it is one of the big buildings in makati having a driveway. so does Pacific Star.

Equitable PCI is also like those buildings in that photo

so much with that...
i got one good news for you guys...
Union Bank Bldg is now occupied. Ive seen an ad showing an company occupying one of the floors below the 20th. It's a sign that its now occupied! Yeheey!!! But wait, no grand opening or ribbon-cutting whatsoever? And they never did bother to invite someone from SSC? :D

hmmm.. that's nice.... at least this building would soon be lighted at night...:D I hope it has a good lighting or its exterior is lighted.. like the One San Miguel.... generally the Ortigas towers are dark at night...

it's about time it was. isn't it Ortigas Center's tallest. i'm pin-pointing it at around 200m-205m. at least the SSP diagrams says so:D

really? it has 49 floors right? i just hope the interiors will be as nice as the exteriors. This ought to have complete amenities since most of the malls are several blocks away. But ive seen some construction nearby...probably a retail market. i don't think tho, this is any way taller than One San Mig.

Btw, i never thought One San Mig has nothing to do with SMC. San Miguel Corp. I thought this is their new corporate building, but nahh...my friend who works there doesn't even know that tower exists.

yeah 49 floors. it doesn't have immediate neighbors around it though, making the base ugly

hehehe... One San Miguel got its name because of its address which is #1 San Miguel Avenue Ortigas Center.....:D and I think that One San Miguel is taller than Union Bank as I remember when I last checked emporis....

anyways.. last night I passed by UnionBank and saw that there are offices already at 3 floors about the 6th to 9th floors I guess... plus another one on a higher floor... but I was curious to see that the fences at the ground floor are still up and the front lobby still doesn't seem to be furnished already....

something I took last July...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid132/p481ccb1bb3b45917cacb067002186484/f79963fa.jpg

when will the BSA Twin Towers be occupied? or is it already?

Renell, BSA isn't occupued yet. It's supposed to resume construction Q4 of this year.
Pau, the other floor occupied is 17th floor.

nice shot there @pau! ;)

going back to the topics of earthquakes in MM highrise jungle (sorry). I think the buildings with the same heights (or almost) that are really next to each other won't have a problem. So i think that's okay. It's just the rest. Also, I think the newly constructed ones won't have problems as well, its only those that are really old (and are not engineered properly) and also the ones that were built with cheap material and labor (KINURAKOT ng mga CONSTRUCTORS!!!). Remember Ruby Tower, somewhere next to the river in MANILA, I know this is like way b4 our time, like 1960-1970. Even the earthquakes was like hundreds of kilometers away like in AURORA or something, it still caused so much damage in MANILA. My parents keep telling me that Ruby Tower was really bad, kinurakot daw ng mga constructor yung building, kaya nag collapse. I think they used only few metal bars for the columns, and instead of really putting cement in the core of those metal colums, they stuffed it with newspapers and only the outside was covered!!! SO SAD. To add to that, the rescue workers who were first on the seen, kinurakot din nila yung mga patay na tao! super shameful naman yan. I think kinuha nila yung mga sing-sing, relo, at mga ginto nung mga patay!! GRABE NAMAN YAN!!! SO SAD!!! Also, sana ay walang liquifaction naman pag me earthquake nga sa maynila, dahil, intensified shaking and also buildings will lubog and tilt, even only a few meters, but still, that's alot! So hopefully the ones constructed like in the 1980s or something are retrofitted, which i doubt will happen at all, but you know, always hope for the best! Here's a link to the PHIVOLCS website

http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/Earthquake/1968CasiguranEQ/index-casiguran.html