To the Victor go the spoils
You can see it from miles away. A huge metallic man, pumping his fist in the air. Straddling the banks of the Pasig River and Quezon City, it’s Filipino-American artist Jefr? Manuel-Figueras’ latest public art creation, “The Victor,” and it is massive. At 60 meters high, and located in Bridgetowne, Robinsons Land’s first-ever township that also features a bridge connecting Pasig and Quezon cities, The Victor is even taller than the US Statue of Liberty (minus the base), making it one of the world’s tallest art installations.
As symbols go, The Victor is all about celebrating — well, victory. From a side view, he stands, mid-stride, right foot forward, with the connecting bridge designed by Manosa & Co., under late National Artists Francisco “Bobby” Manosa, behind the figure suggesting waving yellow ribbons, as though the status is crashing through a finish line.
As public art, it represents something of a record as well, as the “tallest lighting projection” art installation in the world, according to Figueras. The marine-grade perforated steel art piece is designed to withstand natural erosion for centuries, and will feature animated light show elements at night.
For Bridgetowne, RLC’s premier destination estate, it’s a way of announcing that this township has arrived: the 32-hectare masterplanned estate connects both Pasig and Quezon City and espouses a live-work-play lifestyle inside its green, sustainable community with a mix of retail, commercial, offices, hospitality and residences.
The Victor is “destined to be the star of countless social media posts, an icon that captures the heart of the city, like the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe of Paris, Big Ben in London, and the Colosseum in Rome,” adds Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio, RLC’s SVP and GM for Robinsons Destination Estates.
“Our hope is that this monument becomes a lot like the monuments you see around the world that, when you go there, you have to rub the foot for good luck,” Robinsons Land CEO Frederick Go said.
In fact, visitors to The Victor will be able to mount the five-meter stairs to the base where they can see — and touch — its reflective feet. Perfect for selfies, we hear. The rest of the 660,000-pound statue is made of perforated stainless to allow wind to pass through the installation, giving it a modern, translucent appearance.
As we learned at a luncheon inside Velaris Residences, one of the opulent towers built by RLC for this township, The Victor is not only a symbol, but a destination site. Soon there will be surrounding shops and restaurants, and possibly an art gallery featuring Figueras’ work.
Figueras, joining the lunch through a Zoom hookup from his home in Florida, says he’s been creating art installations worldwide, as well as art pieces for Robinson’s Naga and in San Pedro, Laguna. This is his largest yet. “I’ve always emphasized to the team that we’re doing something iconic, so at least it has to be taller than the Statue of Liberty,” he says, lauding the creative control RLC gave for The Victor.
Figueras views public art as something more than simple objects: “They’re icons that help identify not only developments, but cities and countries, so they become the postcard of that location.”
Even more than that, “The bridge itself is really a metaphor for connection. And we want The Victor to become sort of a beacon for unity of how people come together.”
BRIDGING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Bridgetowne is a marvel unfolding, and it’s no surprise that its slogan is “Where winners go.” The concept was inspired by the success story of John Gokongwei, who rose from humble beginnings to create a pioneering retail industry, and much, much more. The idea behind Bridgetowne is that Filipinos work hard and want a well-maintained environment that meets all their modern needs.
Many projects are underway, in construction stage this year. There’s the Opus Mall, an upscale 5-level shopping, dining and recreation center, slated to open this year. The upcoming Fili Hotel, by Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, will be the country’s first homegrown 5-star hotel, with 300 world-class rooms.
Another feature is the forward-thinking architecture and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified projects, with a lineup of premium office buildings in Bridgetowne West, like Exxa-Zeta, Tera and Giga Towers; and the coming GBF Towers 1 and 2, set to receive LEED Gold status upon completion.
The Velaris Residences (a joint venture with Hongkong Land) is part of a mix of residential towers in Bridgetowne East with a neighborhood feel that will also include Haraya (a collaboration with Shang Properties), Le Pont and the premium Cirrus by RLC Residences.
For venue destination needs, the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan is set to open, offering sleek, modern design that can hold everything from grand celebrations to business conferences, exhibitions and product launches.
And with the Philippine women’s team just winning the Women’s World Cup, it’s a great time to open a world-class FIFA-standard football field. The Bridgetowne Football Pitch is just that, soon to open with an adjacent sports bar and lounge. Close by is the 6,000-sqm Bridgetowne Obstacle Park, the world’s largest outdoor park of its kind. Also unveiled was the Mototowne motorcycle hub and nearby Ride Academi, focusing on safe motoring and skill-building activities. Yet another feature is the Comet electric shuttle service that carries visitors and residents around Bridgetowne, and even back and forth to nearby Robinsons Galleria.
Bridgetowne Destination Estate has been awarded Best Township Development and Best Township Masterplan Design by the PropertyGuru Philippines body in 2022.
All of these spell out RLC’s biggest construction project to date, in a single location adjacent to a bridge spanning two cities.
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For more details on Bridgetowne, visit www.robinsonsland.com/industrial-and-integrated-developments-division or send a message to facebook.com/bridgetownedestinationestate or instagram.com/ bridgetownedestinationestate
