AFTER delays due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the Ayala Group, through its social development arm, the Ayala Foundation, is pushing through with the construction of a world-class contemporary art center in Circuit Makati.

“Our hope is for this project to contribute to the growth of creative industries and fuel economic opportunities within the community,” said Antonio G. Lambino II, president of the Ayala Foundation, at a press launch on Nov. 26.

The center for contemporary art is scheduled to open by 2027.

Mr. Lambino highlighted the Ayala Museum, the Filipinas Heritage Library, the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, and the Power Mac Center as examples of how Ayala has supported Filipino visual and performing arts.

“Through these anchor institutions, we aim to continue nurturing a sense of imagination, national pride, and stewardship… which brings us to the next chapter in our journey,” he said.

The future art center, shaped like a palm frond, is designed by Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast and his firm WHY Architecture, which previously did museum renovation projects like the Rockefeller Wing of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the new wing of The Louvre in Paris.

Their local collaborators are Lor Calma & Partners, led by architect Ed Calma, whose portfolio includes the Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City and the Museum of Contemporary Art at the College of St. Benilde School of Design and Art.

A total of 2,200 square meters’ worth of gallery space will be available at the center. There will also be an outdoor area filled with trees and open spaces by the river, in alignment with the government’s Pasig River Esplanade.

“Our vision is for the center to be a pioneering environmentally conscious building. We aim to secure top sustainability certifications — including LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), WELL (WELL Building Standard), and EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) — to meet the highest global standards for green architecture,” said Mr. Lambino.

The site, where Circuit Makati’s concert grounds are currently located, will retain half of the open space. However, concertgoers can look forward to a new section of Circuit being opened as part of an expansion area, providing more green open spaces and sidewalks.

THE VISIONMarlies Gustilo, senior director for arts and culture at the Ayala Museum, told the pressthat the project’s announcement coincides with both Ayala Corporation’s 190th anniversary and Ayala Museum’s 50th anniversary.

“Itreally depends on who the artistic director will be, but the ambition is really to be a regional presence and also a place for our Filipino artists,” she said.

Designed to engage visitors of all ages, the contemporary art center will be the “epitome of new,” a platform exclusively dedicated to new art and new ways of thinking and creating. It will welcome visual arts, immersive installations, performances, films, digital art, and interactive experiences.

Ms. Gustilo explained that the three main galleries will have double-height ceilings, to make space for contemporary pieces that can be hung from above.“And then there will be a lot of public art around in the open spaces,” she added.

As for the integration with the urban planning project of the public sector’s Pasig River Esplanade, Ayala Land Estate project development manager Misha Quimpo told BusinessWorld that the art center will be “Ayala’s part in the government’s plans.”

“We felt very fortunate that we already had this,” she said. “We actually earmarked a pad of land by the river, also beside the museum, for a ferry terminal. Plus, they’re going to build a bridge that goes across the river, for biking and pedestrians.”

Ms. Quimpo cited the public’s positive reception of the first 500 meters of the Pasig River Esplanade built in front of the Post Office in Manila, and the 9.29-kilometer Iloilo River Esplanade.

“Here, you have a positive review of the Circuit’s jogging area and recreational spaces. So, again, we’re just building on what’s already there,” she added. — Brontë H. Lacsamana