MANILA, PHILIPPINES | Monday, January 24, 2005

RP's tallest building to cost P5B


Edsa Properties Holdings, Inc. (EPHI) is planning to build the country's tallest residential building at a cost of P3 billion to P5 billion.

The St. Francis, a residential condominium with two towers of 60 storeys each, will be built in Mandaluyong City, at the fringes of the Ortigas Center.

Vicente P. Formoso, EPHI vice-president and treasurer, also told reporters, "We will use internal funds from existing properties to develop The St. Francis. Our projects, which have been doing well, will generate the cash."

Given its proposed location, The St. Francis will be accessible to business and retail establishments, schools, hospitals, and the EDSA MRT. It will be linked to the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Shang Cineplex, and the MRT Shaw Station.

EPHI owns most of the properties near the corner of Shaw Boulevard and EDSA.

Mr. Formoso said his company was also keen on expanding to other areas.

"We intend to have a series of projects such as malls and entertainment centers, but we want to concentrate in Metro Manila," he said.

He also said parking lot on one of the lots owned by EPHI in Mandaluyong City could become a "big development" in the future.

"A parking lot may be a future development. The St. Francis used to be a parking lot as well, but is now being developed to a structure with two towers of 60 storeys each," he added.

EPHI is into property development and real estate management, and is also a holding company formerly known as MUI Resources Phils., Inc.

It was formed in 1987 and now owns 78.72% of Shangri-La Plaza Corp. It also has interests in EDSA Shangri-La Hotel & Resort, Inc. and Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. Its assets include leasable land in Mandaluyong City, the Shangri-La shopping mall, and the adjoining carpark.

In 2000, the company acquired 23.52% of KSA Realty Corp., the owner and operator of Enterprise Center in Makati City, a modern and luxurious office building.

yay more news:D thanks for this one.

"country's tallest residential building" well that's at least 203m because currently the tallest is 1322 Roxas at that height.

wow... this is nice... at least now.. another tower might catch more of the Ortigas skyline on that side... BSA is the most commonly noticed tower there.. IMO...

and they are tall.. nice!... good development... anyways.. would this rise along Shaw? between Shangri-La and Citiland?.. or that land beside Citiland across St. Francis Church...

It says its a former parking lot.. perhaps that would give you an idea if you go a lot there paul?

that seems to be the lot between Cityland and Shangri La Mall. That's the only huge lot there, i guess. what do you think Paul? Let's hope this will be RP's tallest not only of residentials, but the tallest skyscraper!

Well let's see how the design will be. 60 floors tell us a lot but not that lot:D Cousins of The St. Francis, Enterprise and Shang Grand, both have at least some inspiration from more classical buildings. So my guesses are it will be the inspired by classical designs too.

wow... this is nice... at least now.. another tower might catch more of the Ortigas skyline on that side... BSA is the most commonly noticed tower there.. IMO...

and they are tall.. nice!... good development... anyways.. would this rise along Shaw? between Shangri-La and Citiland?.. or that land beside Citiland across St. Francis Church...

I think it's not along Shaw in the lot between Shangri-la Plaza and Citiland.

I remember an article about this saying that it's located in the parking lot on the corner of St. Francis and Shang's Internal Ave, hence the name "The St. Francis". So the location would be beside Citiland along St. Francis Ave. across St. Francis Church.

Any renderings, photos of this St. Francis out in the papers there? I can tell you hard research reveals nothing for me:(

so did i Renell. probably, we could ask shang agents for the rendering. or there must be a scale model now at Shangri la Hotel and Mall.
i was thinking of that lot behind Cityland. Tho if you are coming from Megamall, you would think that both Shang and Citiland are fronting to you. But technically speaking, it's behind Citiland. :D Hopefully it would be as nice as Shang and Enterprise.

I've searched st. francis @ emporis, but there's no sign of it. :bash:
However the U/C in the Pasig section shows "Shang Grand Tower" @ 60 floors - proposed. Is this the one? :)

Great news!! So this is the building that will be developed by kuok right?

emporis is not up to date because queetz hasnt been able to get the latest data on Philippine skyscrapers. And he doesnt have a lot of time.

i think that's the one @ rmb.

Yeah that could be it. but then again s.com (emporis) has always been late in reporting news. Francis20 and thomasian are like 20 times faster:D

yeheyyy! :D

cool! great news....i hope to see renderings of this twin tower.

any updates in bsa twin towers? will this ever get finished? sayang naman...

I thought all they needed for BSA Twins was the interior then to occupy it? It's been there for 5 years now... very sayang:( Hopefully this one won't be a BSA Twin Tower

by the way , passed by there this am on the way to work and they're actually digging the foundation already, as in there's a backhoe digging, looks like it's really on it's way!

That was fast. Usually projects wait until there's a certain percentage of buyers.

Wow, I hope it will be built with the same pace as that of Shang Grand, as in really fast.

yeah fast! usually, the developers wait for 30% (e.g. SoMA) sell out to start off the construction of a project. some others wait for 80% (Penhurst).
with the pace of Shang's construction, most likely investors will be more confident on placing their money in this project. I can't wait to see the rendering. I want the forum to be one of the very first ones to see it. :D

Yeah Francis same here, I'll be keeping a close-eye on this............like I usually do:D but you blokes in MM would be the first people to see it.

I expected them to use "Philippine's Tallest Residential Building" in their marketing. With their relatively late start compared to other residentials, it seems like they want to be "in time" with other condominiums, which is around 2007-09.

by the way , passed by there this am on the way to work and they're actually digging the foundation already, as in there's a backhoe digging, looks like it's really on it's way!

wow...thats fast! great news, folks like Francis and Pau are sure to keep an eye on its progress and provide us some updates;);)

yep, Pau especially. I will try to keep track of it's market status...hopefully i could also get the rendering asap. there must be printed ads to come out very soon.

looking forward to see the renderings also! hope they would built the twin at the same time....

question, if there is a boom in condo, why does the developer of bsa twin tower finish the project so they could get money back from the sales

There could be some problems inside BSA edmund.....

BSA twin is hopelessly mired in a leghal problems, most of the units are paid for but not delivered, most of the titles manwhile were with metrobank whcih was BSA's main bank. When BSA started defaulting on it's loans, Metro of course refused to release the titles and eventually foreclosed on this. So now you have a situation where in the building is mostly sold out and paid for, a developer which can not deliver the titles and unit to said buyer, and the bank which claims to own the whole building and says they do not have any relationship with the buyer. I read somewhere here that it's supposed to be on it's way, hopefully it was resolved with the needs of the buyers addressed.

thanks for that info bustero, wow....this incident with BSA must scared a lot of condo buyers there, hopefully it would be resolved because it's just roting away

well... I think I found the site.. and yeah they had fences already.. but I'm not yet sure if they are starting to dig... well this would mean that there are two residential towers rising on that same side of the Ortigas huh... this and Soho.... :D

@bustero.. thanks for giving us that insight on the status of BSA....

Did they have a rendering in a billboard in front of the site?:D

nope.. didn't noticed anything.... that's why it took me awhile to know that there will be a construction on that area...

So where exactly is it? In the south side of Shaw blvd?

If i'm not mistaken, it is the lot near the corner of Shaw and ADB Ave. It is beside the Citiland Mega(tower?) and Shangri-La Mall. It is across St. Francis Church and EDSA Shangri-La

edited... nakahanap ako ng map... site is Red X
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/pau_p1/mand.jpg

okay, wow a lot od developments along shaw blvd.

Thanks Pau, yan nga talaga yung site.

what's rustan's tower?

Rustan's Tower is the name of the Shangrila Plaza branch of Rustan's Department Store. It's located inside Shangri-la Plaza.

Rustan's tower is its branch of department store & supermarket inside Shangrila-Plaza , from that map , you will probably think it is separate building from the mall , but it is just a branch of Rustans.

yup, mejo mali talaga yung map.

I still find it weird to say THE ST.FRANCIS :lol:
It would certainly eclipse CITYLAND SHAW TOWER but would compliment EDSA SHANGRILA HOTEL and SHANGRI LA MALL.

here's a CRUDE perspective

http://tinypic.com/1govhx

Near One San Mig. It's nicely placed, located in an rather flat area of Ortigas. A bit like its own Legaspi Village, except its dotted with 180+ skyscrapers (area south of Megamall)

ah okay, thanks thomasian

di ba sa parking space ng shangri-la itatayo yung St.francis towers near in megamall because it needs a large portion of land and the parking space is the only available right.yan tuloy nalilito ako

Thanks for the map pau, and for the graphics, whyte. Its in a great location...it will definitely look very tall if seen from the south (esp. Makati, BGC) since it is in the edge of the Ortigas skyline (in the foreground). Same true with One San Mig which is one of the tallest in Ortigas....we'll see how it will compare with St. Francis once it is completed.

http://
I've a picture of the site but unfortunately don't know how to load it. hehe

http://
I've a picture of the site but unfortunately don't know how to load it. hehe

just upload the picture to an online image service like www.photobucket.com (it's free, though u have to make an account first if u don't have one yet). then, it will automatically provide the URL for that pix, which u will be using for the image tag http://

that's it :) post mo na dali we're all excited:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/bustero/BaguioNov.jpg

Pasensiya na this is my first attempt to post a picture , plus it's just a phone pic pa, so i guess low quality.


Will do a bette job next time.

In any case you can make out shang mall, the fence, a small st francis sign, the backhoes with a small pile at the back.

Will try to do better on the weekend!

By the way thanks a lot for teaching me tyrone :)

By the way thanks a lot for teaching me tyrone :)

no problemo ;) thanks for sharing ur pix :okay:

Is that only part of the lot or are we looking at the right hand part of the lot?

naliwanagan na ako.doon pala talaga itatayo

well it's the whole lot upto St. Francis Ave... (if i'm not mistaken)

anyways.. thanks for posting that bustero...:D

thanks for the photo bustero....so it is all fenced up already. looking forward to see the renderings of this project.

thanks bustero...:) your picture helped indicate its location

doesnt look like it's a big lot. please share a rendering if anyone get hold of one, thanks

yeah, queetz and I were talking about those issues about the lot. It doesn't seem that big, does it bustero? and does it have neighbours already, the lot? :?

I'm sure they know what they are doing. Its part of their proposal to squeeze two towering twins in there, so i think they can do it.

Shang Tower's lot isnt to big, and yet its one massive tower.

I think the lot is at least 2000 sq.m. (just a guess). That's really enough to build two towers. GA's lot is only 1000sq.m. I think. In the GA thread we were talking about a bulding that may be like 180 m. The height of this should be taller but the usable space similar.

The lot is squarish when it was fenced off before as a parking lot, I'm not sure now though it still seems like it. Facing the St. Francis Project to the left of my picture is a police station which the picture does not show. There's a driveway at the back that connects to St. Francis street which connects to and is also used by the mall, behind it is another empty lot (or is it??)facing Shaw Blvd. This lot is in between Citiland Shaw and Metrobank. Of course from the front side (of the picture) it's besides Shangrila Mall as you can see from the picture.

i think that vacant lot is more than enough for that building.
IMO its way bigger than the lot occupied by ONE SAN MIG AVE

as of friday wala pang excavation na nangyayari pinuntahan ng tito ko yung site para kausapin yung engineer or yung project manager para tingnan kung sino yung contractor at kung maku2ha nya ang project para makapag-deliver ng construction supplies kaya lang wala yung engineer kya babalik sya ngayon.

hm... your relatives seems like their into the construction business pretty deep:)

Groundbreaking was just held recently, so this one is surely u/c now.
Quite fast since they didn't wait for the units to be pre-sold.

my uncle work in a construction company yung nagdedeliver ng mga ready-mixed na cement kaya binibigyan nya me ng info.

Superb...this project is going on pretty fast, which is surprising.:okay:

You know you guys, with all these projects, St Francis, GA, SoHo, Mandaluyong will really go up in the rankings thats a lot of tall buildings, am not sure if pioneer gateway is still mandaluyong or pasig.

With how fast these projects are going (Shang makati went up like in a year!) The area around will look so different in a couple of years!

guys nag simula na ang excavation at may mga heavy equipment na sa site

Pioneer Gateway we haven't seen it have way? I know Pioneer, and Gateway but not Pioneer Gateway:D or has it slipped from my mind?

Still waiting for a rendering here..

Yeah, i agree with bustero...Mandaluyong and Pasig will change a lot in the coming years. This should provide additional income to these cities through taxes.

it's funny this project started the excavations but they haven't placed an add at all....

maybe they're confident enough to finish the project without a pre-sale of their units...

Yeah, the developer is the Shangri-la group owned by Kuok, the richest man in SEA.

yeah...they got the money and they are confident enough to top it off with or without additional funds from individual investors.
Pioneer Gateway has changed its name to Robinson's Pioneer to avoid confusions with the larger Gateway Mall.

i'm excited to see the rendering of this project. sana may lumabas na...

robinsons pioneer is in mandaluyong. the area is where mandaluyong CBD should be starting from shaw blvd. the boundary of pasig and manda is san mig ave.

yeah me too, rendering please!

Weird...we should have a rendering by now. I really wanna see how this project looks like.

really weird, it's already u/c and yet there's no renderings and ads for this project.

is it possible that the podium level of this project could be retail and be connected to shangrila mall? if it is maybe they would build the podium first them do the condo...

^ it's foundations, podium, then the buildings. each one of them often goes faster than the other.. :)

Where in this diagram will St. Francis be located...just for clarification.
http://www.century-properties.com/sohocentral/images/maps/soho_central_masterplan.jpg

It will be in the top left of Shangri-la Plaza, right?:D

yeah I thought it would be in the area too, if not where those darker rectangular prisms are. I don't think Greenfield stretches to the other side of Shaw does it?

There's already a rendering when this project broke grounds. The only problem is...we were not able get a hand of it , and there's not a single copy anywhere in the net or in the dailies.

aw man...too bad we werent able to get a rendering:(

@ renell - Greenfield City starts from where SoHo is all the way to Pioneer. All of which is in the other side of Shaw from Ortigas.

How I wish we had a forumer with deep connections so we get renderings and info on the projects as soon as they are made.

guys base to my uncle may roon ng structural design ang ST.Francis.

Taken last Sunday from Market! Market!

http://www.geocities.com/a_ofngol/Photo_020605_010x.jpg

nice renderring.ang ganda grabe sana maraming ganyang klaseng project

that "gap" between Makati and Ortigas is now slowly being filled. Must be a great view to see when all projects are done from the Rizal hills/mountains

yeahh... your right... well as of today.. the Metro Manila skyline is very beautiful in a clear day from the overlooking areas of Antipolo City....

Sweet...thanks for doing that thomas. I like it when ppl make future skyline pics.

@ renell - i kinda wish that Ortigas and Makati will not be connected. I like the way it is that they are two separate skylines. Making it connected will make the skyline not as centralized and more Sao Paulo like.

It'll be hard to truly connect it as when you get to makati, guadalupe, there's the huge seminary which will not develop tall buildings, the other side is small lots which will be difficult to consolidate. then of course you'll hit belair on one side forbes on the other, and it will be a cold day in hell before you get these two barangays to allow tall buildings in or near their areas.

thanks for that pau! btw, do you have any photos of market market and maybe serendra? thanks

uhmm... I'll try to get some in the next few weeks... :D I'm planning to take a stroll in Market! Market! next next week :D

that's good pau! thanks

ang ganda talaga tingnan ang skyline ng ortigas,bonifacio,eastwood and makati lalo na sa balcony ng school namin dito sa rizal.kaso lang di ko maaninag ang makati.visible din yung skyline sa muntinglupa yata yun masyadong malayo.

hmm... probably then not completely connected then but the big Pasig/Mandaluyong skyline is expanded to its side of the bank of the Pasig. Looks like it's the only way Ortigas is going to expand.

with the opening of medical city, the meralco compound will soon be developed into another rockwell. also, the lot along c-5 is now being developed by the ortigas so it will later add to the pasig skyline. for sure, the tiendesitas are just temporary structures. i saw before a masterplan of that area, i don't know if they will stick to that masterplan.

still no rendering of St. Francis... :bash:

ang ganda talaga tingnan ang skyline ng ortigas,bonifacio,eastwood and makati lalo na sa balcony ng school namin dito sa rizal.kaso lang di ko maaninag ang makati.visible din yung skyline sa muntinglupa yata yun masyadong malayo.

jcb



You mean mas visible pa yung Muntinlupaskyline kahit malayo kaysa sa Makati?

Doon naman sa SM southmall sa topmost floor on a clear day , very visible ang Makati /Ortigas skylines

at the back of SM Fairview in Novaliches.. on a clear day it offers a great view of the Annapolis, Ortigas, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Manila skylines... from that vantage point its quite easy to determine the height differences of each building... :D

that is also the view in timberland heights in montalban. they made a viewing deck at the highest point and on a clear day, you will see eastwood, ortigas, makati, etc. too bad, it's not clear when I went there to visit.

yes croper visible sya di ko lang alam kung muntinglupa hula ko lang ang layo kci nya sa skyline ng bonifacio global city and also in makati kayo ganon ang nasa isip ko.visible din minsan ang tagaytay pag talagang clear yung ang ulap.

guys base to my uncle may roon ng structural design ang ST.Francis.

maybe you can ask your uncle to get a copy of the rendering or a photo of the scale model when he gets a chance :D --ty

@ renell - i kinda wish that Ortigas and Makati will not be connected. I like the way it is that they are two separate skylines. Making it connected will make the skyline not as centralized and more Sao Paulo like.
hmmm, I wish the two will be connected. :D naalala ko un sabi ng friend ko, "di puede alinman sa Makati or Ortigas si Spiderman kc mabibitin lang cya". :bash: :colgate:

@ jcb - yeah, it would be nice if you got a copy of the rendering:)

@ mhe-ann - nice avatar:) nah...its better if they werent connected:D

they won't be "connected" like LKG and Multinational (which btw I have a hand into helping mhe-ann's av:D) but it will be a straight line of skylines, Makati's, Mandaluyong's and Pasig's

subukan natin sinabi ng tito ko yung pangalan ng firm na nagdesign kaso nakalimutan ko.try natin

jcb
please ask your uncle again for the name of the architect anad maybe i could get someone to check up.

@ mhe-ann - nice avatar:) nah...its better if they werent connected:D
thanks. thanks to @renell. :) Ok, not connected but at least, straight line of skylines like what @renell said. :colgate:

One of IsaganiZenze's pic from the Ortigas Center Thread shows the site of the St. Francis towers.

http://www.geocities.com/pinoy_fan2000ph/f52ddf45x.jpg

Thanks for pointing that out, thomasian. Looks like there is lots of room for twin skyscrapers there.

aah so that's the Cityland queetz mentioned in MSN:D like greyx said there is a lot of space for a comfortable podium. But it is on the other side of Shaw is it?

It is on Ortigas' side of Shaw.;)

aright. but it's on really on shaw right?:D :lol: pardon my ignorance, my Ortigas knowledge is lacking compared to my Makati.

No, not exactly. It is in the back of Cityland as seen from the picture above. Cityland is on Shaw.

hmmm, I wish the two will be connected. :D naalala ko un sabi ng friend ko, "di puede alinman sa Makati or Ortigas si Spiderman kc mabibitin lang cya". :bash: :colgate:
hahaha this is very funny, now we know man reaches out to build towards the sky, abay para kay gagamba boy pala! :cheers:

no renderings for this one huh? :(

no renderings for this one huh? :(

I saw one in the newspaper!!!... i'll take pictures of it later.

sweet :happy: looking forward

Ughh... don't be to excited because...
http://www.geocities.com/pinoy_fan2000ph/Photo_021405_001xx.jpg

...it's not as big and clear as you might have expected :(
sorry that's the biggest and clearest shot that I can get from my PDA
wala akong pera pambili ng battery ng digicam eh.

well at least we can see from the rendering that it's "Blue" and that the positioning of the twin towers is somewhat similar to that of Rockwell's Joya.

hehe it's very very vague:D hmm... is it narrow? also is its base quite tall?

They must have placed the rendering on that picture somewhere. I'm guessing it's Shangrila-plaza.

another info.may uncle told me about jose aliling.di ko lang alam kung sya yung contractor o firm na nag design ng st.fracis.

LOL...that newspaper picture didnt help at all:D But thanks for your effort, thomasian.

Now that they have unvieled the project, im sure there will be renderings available to us soon.

well it's more clear on the newspaper itself, but it doesn't help much because all I can see is the blue-ness of the towers and I can't see the podium and other details.

If only the photographer focused on the rendering and not the people, then we could have seen it clearly. :(

jose aliling is a contractor. they're also the contractor for Shang Grand Tower.

nah, jose aliling is the project/construction manager.

very excited to see the rendering of this project!

ahh ok. sorry po.

guys sorry ha wrong info.,tanong ko ulit tito ko kadalasan kc mga contractor ang binabangit nya sa akin.try ko ulit

nyeks, ok lang francis and jcb. that's the essence of this forum nga e. we share info and discuss para mas malawak ang knowledge natin about these project.

i'm excited to see renderings for this project. i contacted an agent pero i didn't get so much from him.

If I were a potential buyer, I wouldn't be so convinced St. Francis would be a better buy than say, Soho Central down the street, if I didn't know how the hell it'd look like, or how my room would look like.

I went to the shang tower showroom today and inqured about st. francis. this is the broker's response.

Foundation work already beginning but launch is still midyear most probably around June.

Cut's are smaller than shang , more studios and one bedrooms. So not much 80 sq.m. 1 bedrooms, probably studios at 40 to 50 and 1 bedrooms at 60.

finish is similar to delivered unit in shang, tiles, planks, cabinetry, the usual

price lower than shang which is at 85t/sq.m. they may be looking at a launch price of 60's but presenlty no real decision yet as the kuok team from head office is doing final determination on the local market.

Will tell you more if something comes up.

thanks for the update bustero......hope to see a rendering soon

thanks for the info, bustero. Do you think St. Francis is as highend/luxurious as Shang Grand Tower?

I thought that was still in the final determination, as he wrote.

kerri properties the developer looks at ortigas as downscale to makati , hence st. francis will most probably lesser in positioning. though the broker did say that the finish of the interior would be the same. I suppose the common areas and exterior will be cheaper materials, we'll see when they actually decide on it. This is probably why there has been no final render , they may still be toying with the actual finish.

Oh alright...So everything should be straightened out by June, which is the launch date, according to what you heard. We should have a rendering by then.

heard from one of the project theme that it's still in the design and planning stage. that's the reason why there's no rendering yet because the design hasn't been finalized yet.

What about this rendering (sorry, it's not clear in this picture though)?
Does that mean that the design in this rendering during the groundbreaking is not yet final?
http://www.geocities.com/pinoy_fan2000ph/Photo_021405_001xx.jpg

i supposed. this is just for PR purposes.

What's also weird is that headline says "Kuok Group Unveils St. Francis Luxury..." when bustero has said launch will be around june.... :?

So does that mean that its launching is different from its groundbreaking?

marketing strategy. at this point all of us are curious about this project...
they just created awareness and then credibility by "soft" ground-breaking.
i just hope it will work though when they start selling :)

groundbreaking is the start of construction.
launching is the start of selling the units.
does that make sense? but launching usually comes before groundbreaking since developers need initial investment before starting off a project.

sounds like the developers are doing this pretty weirdly... haha! can't wait to see it too after they figure things out in the next few months...

umm, the line on the article mentions "luxury". so there might be a chance it could be high-end....?

groundbreaking is the start of construction.
launching is the start of selling the units.
does that make sense? but launching usually comes before groundbreaking since developers need initial investment before starting off a project.

yes actually it did to me:D :cheers:

it's just the way Kuok has handled this doesn't. Like you said it's launching before groundbreaking, perhaps its to attract buyers, to have less waiting time, than say Eastwood Parkview or Soho Central

cant wait to see the rendering. the project logo shows some sharp structures, similar with GT.

Where did you see the logo:?

sa project site.

cool! really cant wait to see the rendering of this project

guys any update on this?

Still digging at the site. Someone should take pictures from the nearby Cityland Shaw, wala kasi akong makita pag sa ground level, natatakpan ng fence yung site.

Wala paring rendering? :D

I just went past the site this morning and saw that they have already dug deep for the foundation... it seems that they'll build the twin simultaneously huh?.....

Well often twins have similar podiums in MM, excluding BGC though. Pero wala paring rendering;) or did I miss it big time?

Good...it means that they have enough capital and confidence to build the two towers together.:okay:

It does seem like there'll be a podium, so the two towers will be built simultaneously. :okay:

It does seem like there'll be a podium, so the two towers will be built simultaneously. :okay:

Is that from renderings? I can't clearly see it, but the one you posted showed something similar to a podium....:?

Yeah, that's from the one I posted. The newspaper copy is clearer than the picture that I took and posted here. The one on the paper seems like there really is a podium. But we can't really be sure until a final rendering is released.

how high in meters would this be?

no exact height, not even a guesstimate at the moment for a lack of a rendering. But it's definately more than 200m. Should be in the top 10 for the country.

maybe they plan to build the podium first as a retail/commercial spaces than in the future the condo building, like the podium?

I don't think there will be commercial spaces in its podium.
Just look at Shang Grand, they're advertising that there's not even a single square meter of commercial space in it for the utmost in privacy and security.

hmm....

what is the latest news about this project

dont know...havent heard anything lately

I wanna see the renderings already...!! haha! why are they keeping the country's two tallest buildings locked up in the dark still...?! haha!

i dont know either, maybe this would be later project?

Well I just passed the site a few minutes ago and the sides are all cemented with a heck of a deep hole!

I guess there'll be a podium because there's one big hole occupying the whole site instead of two smaller holes for the towers.

yeah i figure they would build the podium first as a mall then they would build the tower in the future, like the podium. i really hope that the towers would push tru very soon...san it wont be on hold like the "the podium"

so no renderings yet? aren't there any on site, for passerby's?

There's a billboard on the site showing the archi, contractor, etc. but there's no rendering there yet.

do you remember who is the architect thomasian?

Still no updates for this one?

@Edmund - Sorry I wasn't able to read the details on the billboard because I was in an FX taxi when I passed by it.

Still no updates for this one?

@Edmund - Sorry I wasn't able to read the details on the billboard because I was in an FX taxi when I passed by it.

that's okay, maybe next time when you pass by it again, thanks :)

:lurker: i think its recio+casas :)

:lurker: i think its recio+casas :)

okay thanks, so the same architect who did the shang, maybe i could get a rendering from a friend.

im guessing it would have a sharp top like GT? hehe...just speculating.

When i passed by it, there was no rendering at all.

:lurker: i think its recio+casas :)

hey, if it is Recio+Casas there might already be a design out there. I remember seeing a picture with a pair of huge twins (a model) at the front desk of the Recio+Casas office when it was featured in that BluPrint issue a couple months back. I don't have it here in Manila with me, so I'm not sure which issue... hehe basta, it was when we first heard about the St. Francis supertall twins here on SSC when I saw it so I was thinking that might've been the one. but I'm not sure at all...

you guys can check if you want. I tried counting the number of floors and it was around 40-50 lang, not 60 like St. Francis is supposed to be. but that count isn't very accurate cuz the model was pretty small in the picture... haha

Does it look like this?
Haha :D , sorry that's the best I have.

That was the rendering presented during the grounbreaking.

It should at least be blue. :)

http://www.geocities.com/pinoy_fan2000ph/Photo_021405_001xx.jpg

wala pa ring rendering? :|

thanks for the effort @thomasian though I can't visualize it. sana next month may rendering na. :D

i read from todays newspaper these two towers are 60 stories (1200 units) high and onced completed will be the tallest residential tower in the country

thats great news! i hope it won't be another BSA Twin Towers in the making :no:

cool! now i am anxious to see the renderings! =)

nope i dont think so st francis towers is owned by shangri la and they are well funded and wht is the story behind the bsa towers, did they default in their loan payments and the bank refused to release the titles to buyers who have paid their units in full????

Passed by the site last Friday and the excavation is really deep.
I only saw it from the street so I didn't exactly see how deep it really is and what they are actually doing.

The hole is visible from the upper levels of the east parking of Shangri-La Plaza.

^ any pics aaron? thanks. :)

wala eh. sorry po.

hey guys..

am i the first guy from st. francis to post here at this thread? actually, i used to be with COLUMNS, ayala ave. but now with St. Francis, got renderings here already.. super nice, but i am not yet allowed to upload it yet. Once i get the go signal, i will let you know.

hope everyone here is ok! its been years since i last posted here at skyscrapercity.. i forgot my username and password, that is why i had to register again.

take care everyone!

wow! welcome here again. pls. post the renderings as soon as they gave you the go-signal. :D

oo nga,welcome ulit reignman888,thanks ha sa detail

hey guys..

am i the first guy from st. francis to post here at this thread? actually, i used to be with COLUMNS, ayala ave. but now with St. Francis, got renderings here already.. super nice, but i am not yet allowed to upload it yet. Once i get the go signal, i will let you know.

hope everyone here is ok! its been years since i last posted here at skyscrapercity.. i forgot my username and password, that is why i had to register again.

take care everyone!

Alright we understand. Post it as soon as you get the go signal:)

^ that's good news, we will have a reliable source of St. Francis photos..I think i remember you man, that guy who worked in the Columns... are you the same guy from that branch of ayala?:D

hey guys..

am i the first guy from st. francis to post here at this thread? actually, i used to be with COLUMNS, ayala ave. but now with St. Francis, got renderings here already.. super nice, but i am not yet allowed to upload it yet. Once i get the go signal, i will let you know.

hope everyone here is ok! its been years since i last posted here at skyscrapercity.. i forgot my username and password, that is why i had to register again.

take care everyone!

can you send it through email though? :D can't wait to see the renderings!!! or a little description will do! hahaha!

what's the color?
what's the architecture style?
is it glassy?

:lol:

hey, cool! can't wait for the rendering. by the way reignman888, i went shang yesterday and and i passed by the carpark building on my way to the hotel. is the newly renovated area on the first floor of the carpark building the showflats/model units of st. francis?

cant wait

Wow, first we have Bevepi from RLC now we have another insider, this time for St. Francis.

wow, finally! can't wait either! :D

^^ im about to pee in my pants, now i cant really wait from all these commotions

oh yeah, look forward to those rendering reignman. Maganda ba! Like super hi class. Sana!

Guys..

super ganda ito.. trust me on this one.. i will just need everybody's patience on this.

okay, I'll wait.

clue!!! hehehe

wohoo! im excited :colgate:

reignman888, welcome to SSC :D

I want to make a wild guess...will it have some razor sharp tops? hehe...guess lang po based sa logo. and they are oriented such that the diagonal sides seem to meet as they go upwards. malay...hulahula hoop. :D

Francis? what's their logo? please post an image :D

excited na ako,who is t5he general contrcator ng project na ito huling punta ng tito ko sa office ng developer eh digging contractor pa lang at bidding pa lang para sa general contractor.thank you sa info.

when is the date of the rendering's release? so i can make sure I'm online and ready to see it:D

putik wala pa rin , keep coming back to this thread , hehe. man it better be good with all this waiting , unlike out hole in the groung along ADB avenue.

Hahaha...Cool ka lang tol.

@ coke, just when construction commenced, i passed by the area, i noticed the logo of the construction...and there seem to be 2 towers with sharp tops...just like GT. I dunno. Tinanggal na yata. I'm becoming impatient about this. hehehe...Let's wait na lang. Something to be excited about.

Trust this one would be another iconic structure just like Shang Tower. They should be putting all those scale models in all Shangri las soon.

patience my friends.. anyway, to give you a brief brief idea on the project.. here are some details..

its 60 storey twin tower condo
- Units starts at the 10th floor
- Average price is around P80,000 per square ( price ranges P50,000 - P100,000 per square meter depending on the floor, view, etc. )
- Only Studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom units are available.
- Parking is optional
- Studio area is between 38 - 45 sq. m.
- 1 bedroom area is between 55 - 65 sq. m.
- 2 bedroom area is between 110 - 120 sq. m.

we are supposed to launched on the 3rd week of October, but it is being moved again to a later date.

patience please.. patience.. =)

Reignman,
Wow parang Fort Bonifacio Global City ang ave. price of P80,000.00/sqm you've quoted so St. Francis better be one hell of a building structure. Personally I think it's expensive for where it will be located so they need to make it up somewhere like in the finishing and ammenities for example. Serendra, which is the most expensive development currently in construction in FBGC, is clocking around Php94,000.00/SQM, Fairways Tower, along Manila Golf, is averaging around Php85,000.00/SQM, and Soma t Php75,000.00/SQM furnished. The quotations include 1 parking space and is Vat inclusive as well. Is Php80,000.00/SQM in Mandaluyong the going rate there now or will this project be pushing the pricing envelope.


patience my friends.. anyway, to give you a brief brief idea on the project.. here are some details..

its 60 storey twin tower condo
- Units starts at the 10th floor
- Average price is around P80,000 per square ( price ranges P50,000 - P100,000 per square meter depending on the floor, view, etc. )
- Only Studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom units are available.
- Parking is optional
- Studio area is between 38 - 45 sq. m.
- 1 bedroom area is between 55 - 65 sq. m.
- 2 bedroom area is between 110 - 120 sq. m.

patience please.. patience.. =)

hey 3cr,

P85,000 is just average.. take note of the price ranges.. we start at P50,000 per square! that is what you call affordability! to think we will deliver a Shangrila Quality project. that is inclusive of VAT already. studio unit starts at P2.2M.

I already saw our AVP on the project.. hanep.. galing talaga.. basta guys.. soon na yung renderings.. no go signal yet.. so to those who are about to invest on other buildings.. wait muna! check this out too before making a decision.

reignman, are you really restricted to disclose the rendering? di na ko makapag antay eh. hehe...di ba nung ni launch yung project, disclosed na rin naman yung rendering? too bad we weren't there to see it personally. hehe...pwede ba bigyan mo kami ng clue?

by the way, studio units are quite big. and affordable i must say (not by myself)...
how much have been sold out yet?

reignman!!! plllllleeeeeeaaaaassssssseeeeeee...i can't sleep until then.... hehehehe.

How come residential units will start at the 10th level, what will be the purpose of the podium? Is it solely for parking and amenities or will there be commercial spaces in it?

hey 3cr,

P85,000 is just average.. take note of the price ranges.. we start at P50,000 per square! that is what you call affordability! to think we will deliver a Shangrila Quality project. that is inclusive of VAT already. studio unit starts at P2.2M.

I already saw our AVP on the project.. hanep.. galing talaga.. basta guys.. soon na yung renderings.. no go signal yet.. so to those who are about to invest on other buildings.. wait muna! check this out too before making a decision.
When is the turnover date?

thomasian - yep.. podium is for amenities and parking.. we will have walkways connecting the building to the mall and to the hotel.

marites - turn over date is on 2009..

Wouldn't it be nice if all buildings were somehow connected with a walkway then there wouldn't be pedestrian traffic anymore he he.

This is an ideal plan for our main cbd's Makati is already implementing it. Sana sumunod ang ortigas, pagnaglalakad ka , iilag ka na nga ng kotse ang baho pa amoy ng diesel tapos pagumulan lalong masmasaya pa!

There's an article in the paper that says St. Francis will be officially launched this month.

They have a picture of the model unit in the paper, here it is:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b210/ofngol/st-francis.jpg

I hope reignman888 gets the go signal to post the rendering soon.

how much is per night?

patience my friends.. anyway, to give you a brief brief idea on the project.. here are some details..

its 60 storey twin tower condo
- Units starts at the 10th floor
- Average price is around P80,000 per square ( price ranges P50,000 - P100,000 per square meter depending on the floor, view, etc. )
- Only Studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom units are available.
- Parking is optional
- Studio area is between 38 - 45 sq. m.
- 1 bedroom area is between 55 - 65 sq. m.
- 2 bedroom area is between 110 - 120 sq. m.

we are supposed to launched on the 3rd week of October, but it is being moved again to a later date.

patience please.. patience.. =)

reignman888 wala pa bang balita? Excited na kami makita yung renderings ng St. Francis. We're anxiously waiting...The suspense is killing us!

oo nga po. ive seen a very huge poster sa side ng shang mall sa mandaluyong. it shows the view from the units not the other way around.

This is an ideal plan for our main cbd's Makati is already implementing it. Sana sumunod ang ortigas, pagnaglalakad ka , iilag ka na nga ng kotse ang baho pa amoy ng diesel tapos pagumulan lalong masmasaya pa!


SOHO will be connected with a pedestrian walkway to Shangrila EDSA plaza and MRT. Hopefully this will pave the way for more overhead walkways in Ortigas.

how much is per night?

is there gonna be a hotel at St. Francis?

^ kala ko hospital yung saint francis de asisi

I don't think there will be a hotel, no annoucement so far and they own shangrila which is really doing well.

The newspaper article says it it will have an air-conditioned walkway connecting it to EDSA Shangri-la Hotel and Shangri-la Plaza Mall.

I don't think there will be a hotel.
If people want to check in a hotel, then EDSA Shangri-La is just located next door.

so they don't have 3-bedroom suites? I know some apartelle's have 3 bedrooms.

hey reignman, perhaps you can tell us it's height.. or whether they expect it to be the tallest in: Ortigas or in Metro Manila (ie philippines' tallest)

Is this project going to obstruct some of the views from SOHO? I'm not really sure of its exact location.

^^ a little bit yes.

yeah, some of SOHO's north views will be blocked.

Guys, I found this from inq7.net. The rendering is so small and pixelated, but it gives us nonetheless an idea of how it will look like :)

The St Francis is a residential development of The Shang Grand Tower Corporation, part of The Kuok Group. The towers will be directly linked to the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel and Shangri-La Plaza Mall by comfortable elevated walkways.

The neighborhood includes top retail shops, entertainment, dining and easy access to the MRT as well as 5-star Hotel facilities.

The Kuok Group's sterling track record includes developments throughout Asia-Pacific and The Shang Grand Tower in Makati City, Philippines.

SENSATIONAL SHOPPING

SMARTER COMMUTING

EASY LEISURE

DELICIOUS DINING

DESIGNER HOMES

FEATURES

* Two towers, 1-60th floor per tower
* Studios, 1 and 2 BRs, most with balconies
* Garden duplexes, penthouses
* High 2.9m clear ceiling heights
* 6 hi-speed passenger lifts and service elevator for each tower

FACILITIES AND SERVICES

* (WIFI) Wireless fidelity facilities
* Mini theater
* Videoke rooms
* Sky lounge
* Deluxe banquet/function room
* Clubhouse with gym and aerobics room
* Games room with sports lounge
* Spa – sauna, massage rooms
* Adult and kiddie swimming pools, jacuzzi
* Children’s play areas
* Internet center
* Laundromat
* 24 hr convenience store
* Direct access to MRT
* Concierge



DEVELOPER
The Shang Grand Tower Corporation, part of the Kuok Group of Companies. Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore.

PROJECT TEAM
Architects:
Wong & Tung International Ltd., Recio+Casas Architects
Interior Designer:
BBG-BBGM
MEP Engineering:
WSP Hong Kong Limited
Civil & Structural Engineering:
Ove Arup & Partners, Hong Kong Ltd
Quantity Surveyor:
Davis Langdon & Seah Phil. Inc.
Construction Management:
J.A. Aliling & Associates Structural Auditor: Magnusson Klemencic Asso.

Come and visit our model units right next to Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid190/pc8672ec3fa3655bf992c29def4f4411e/f1ef06b7.jpg

Sedna,
Using TV analogy, imo north facing Soho units will eventually have a viewing area that's 4x3 instead of the original 16x9 when the St.Francis Twin Towers finally get erected. If the unit you purchased is not a north facing one, then your views should not be affected by this development. I wonder which one will be turned over first?

Harvy,
Thanks for the preview on St.Francis! I'm all the more intrigued and enthused now about this twin tower project.

Reignman,
Guess now we should be expecting more details on the St. Francis project, including the much anticipated rendering you have been promising to post, quite shortly. The suspense is really killing us so please i-post mo na ito...

they now have a web site but it's not complete yet. www.thestfrancistowers.com

MASYADONG SUSPENSE NMN 2!

^naligaw ka yata d2, pagod na ba sa ct vs. ct

I have the rendering!!!
It's not yet shown in their website but it's located there.
I just viewed the image directory(thank God, directory listing is not forbidden), opened the files one by one and voila!, I found a rendering, albeit in black and white.

edit: need to remove the rendering

at last.. nice one..

hmmm... i was expecting something with curves pero ok na rin siya. :okay: thanks aaron.

I have the rendering!!!
It's not yet shown in their website but it's located there.
I just viewed the image directory(thank God, directory listing is not forbidden), opened the files one by one and voila!, I found a rendering, albeit in black and white.

edit: by Thomasian... sorry, need to remove the rendering.



Awesome!! Huge podium...but as tyronne said, i was expecting more curves too, its rather boxy.

Yeah true that. But it does look.. edgy and cool:D Though that right hand side of the right building looks like it has a long stripe of bare wall :no: Anyways thanks man, now let's see the colored version, maybe some detail in the future :)

good job aaron! :okay: it looks boxy but elegant. :D

Nice. Nice!

But waitaminit!

ASB Development Corp. has applied for the change in name of the BSA Twin Towers to the Saint Francis Square Towers! And based on the site erected on the site, it looks as if the QC gov't has approved it!

it's kind of disappointing like other have said, it would have been nice if they put some spires or pyramidal top

i was hoping for something glassy...but it's not dissapointing and it looks very tall! i wonder what its height is. how tall is the current tallest residential tower?

both are 60 floors right?

2.9m floor to ceiling + .2 in between = 3.1m x 60 = 186m?

ay di pang gawin 200, sayang naman pakisabi nga sa architect