Building 6

How can a building mediate the space between private and public?

Manila, Philippines
Design Development

Building 6 is a mixed-use building with offices and retail spaces that sits above a major bus station in Manila, Philippines. 

Building 6 is a 24-hour multimodal hub. It connects the global city with the old central business district, and is an important point of connection for buses, jeepneys, and tricycles. Our design leverages this activity and adds a 7-story retail and office program to create a marketplace, as well as areas for business processing units and offices.

Because the project site straddles Manila’s busiest business district and a wealthy and quiet suburban area, we had to mediate between these two vastly different neighbors, while also serving the variety of needs of the building’s tenants. Our design differentiates public vs private space in the building. We designed a facade system that gradually transforms from an open, public grid in front to a private one towards the back. The public-facing retail spaces and entrances to the bus station turn towards the business district while the private offices above face the calmer suburb.

  • TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Laura del Pino
  • CLIENT: SM Investments