MANILA, Philippines — Robinsons Land Corp.’s transformation of Bridgetowne into one of the country’s most innovative mixed townships and business parks is a success story that deserves an iconic landmark, much like modern city icons like the London Eye, the Pyramid of the Louvre in Paris or the Supertrees of Singapore.
The 20-story high steel art installation called the “The Victor” is indeed a proper homage to this sprawling 32-hectare destination estate located in Quezon City in the west and Pasig City in the east.
Created by Miami-based Filipino-American public artist Jefre Manuel Figueras, also known as JEFRË, “The Victor” is regarded as one of the world’s tallest art installations that employs lighting projection and is envisioned to serve as a catalyst for the transformation of Bridgetowne Estate into a thriving art hub.
“The Victor” depicts a human figure with one arm raised, fist in the air as if celebrating a victorious win – an homage to the resilience and unwavering determination that reside within every Filipino, according to JEFRË.
In a way, “The Victor” is a tribute to the life story of the late business tycoon John Gokongwei Jr., who rose from humble beginnings, overcame adversity and achieved unparalleled success in life.
To make this 55-meter-high, 330-ton steel art installation – nine meters taller than the Statue of Liberty of the United States, without its pedestal – JEFRË needed a sturdy 5-meter-high platform. Robinsons Land Corp. engaged the services of one the country’s top structural consultants, SySquared and Associates,that carried out a structural design review, specifically on how the art piece will respond to a strong earthquake, the structural integrity of the steel framework and even the soil condition of the area where the installation rests.
A wind tunnel study was also conducted by experts from the Asian Institute of Technology of Bangkok, Thailand, to make sure the art piece – with its marine-grade perforated steel skin – will withstand strong gusts of wind as well as determine the sort of wind pattern it creates around buildings and other structures where it is located.
“The Victor” stands at the eastern end of the iconic 110-meter bridge – designed by the late National Artist Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa – that crosses over the Marikina River.
“The Victor“ thus complies with the National Structural Code of the Philippines and other international codes and standards, since the construction and design team considered all areas to ensure the safety during and upon completion of the public art structure.
Interestingly, the perforated steel skin of the “The Victor” not only provides resistance to erosion and effects from heavy rainfall, but also gives the art piece a semi-translucent appearance at daytime while providing a perfect medium for projecting light shows that are set to bring people and communities together through a shared memorable experience at nighttime.