GIL COSCOLLUELA : 12 things he can’t live without

If you’ve shopped in a Nike store, swilled a glass or two at the late lamented Shiraz, or eaten at the Café Metro, then you’ve seen the lean, clean lines of the work of one of the metro’s up and coming hotshot architects: Gil Coscolluela.

Gil’s most recent adventure was setting up a CITEM booth for his store Skin, a store specializing in leather furniture. With a slight shrug and barely-concealed homegrown pride, he says, "The buyers kept on asking me, ‘Your stuff is so good. Where were you trained, where did you study?’ And I would just say, I studied here in the Philippines."

Gil is the son of Willy Coscolluela, the name behind such landmark developments as Robinsons Galleria, the first complex to combine a hotel, mall and office building; the World Trade Center; and the RCBC building; and Marion Coscolluela, an accomplished interior designer in his own right.

Architecture was never Gil’s childhood dream. But one summer, he worked in his dad’s office and the experience opened his eyes to the dynamic world of development. "I got to see what development is, and then I was able to close a deal and sell a unit. That got me hooked and I thought this was something I could do. Plus, in school (Southridge School for Boys) we had technical drafting, and I was always pretty OK at that, so architecture seemed like the right profession for me."

He chose to go to the University of the Philippines, and he says, "It was a mixed experience. Some professors had worked with my dad, so they were nice to me, while others expected me to know more just because my dad was an architect."

While he may have gotten his training here in Manila, he says, "But I’ve been able to work with names from the top firms, like SOM (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill), because they came here to be consultants for projects, so just being in our office has been the best learning program." In fact, though most architects have to wait until their middle age to get a variety of projects, Gil has already worked on high-rises, private residences and public retail spaces, and he’s just 33!

He admits, "When I first started, I had so many ideas, so many things I wanted to do. But an architect once told me: ‘If you have clients who come in with so many clippings and so many requests, listen to all. Then just pick three main ideas, and stick with those.’ I’ve tried to follow that advice with all my projects."

How does he define his style? "Somewhere in between modern and traditional, so I guess the only word for it would be contemporary. I always like a blend of the old and new."

As if being an architect was not enough of a full-time profession, he has now plunged into the furniture retail business with Skin. Why leather furniture? "I’ve always loved leather. It’s beautiful, it’s durable, it’s low maintenance. Plus the older it gets, the better it looks. In our den in our house, the house I grew up in, there are leather floor panels, and they still look good, and that house was built like 20 years ago," he reveals.

Though he does welcome all kinds of projects, he says, "What I’m really enjoying now is doing retail spaces. I’m working on this Italian ready-to-wear brand that will open at Greenbelt 4. It’s very experimental, you should wait for it."

Top Influences

1) My father, Willy Coscolluela. Of course. His advice was simple: Is it functional? Is it low-maintenance?
2. Frank Lloyd Wright. Anyone who studies architecture cannot forget him.
3. I.M Pei
4. Peter Prand. I had a chance to meet him when he came here, and he really makes sense when it comes to modern architecture.

Favorite Travel Destinations

1. Sydney, Australia. It’s cosmopolitan, but it’s still very oriented toward the ocean, the harbor. They really give a premium to their outdoor spaces and I wish we could do that here.
2. Italy. When we were working on JAKA Tower, I was able to go to Carrara and go to the mountains and see how they quarry marble, cut it, polish it and it was really an experience. And whether it’s old or new, Italy’s a great place to see architecture.
3. China. Both Beijing and Shanghai. I mean, seeing the Great Wall! And Shanghai is so sophisticated.

12 Things He Can’t Live Without

1. My scapular. I have never taken it out. If you die while wearing it, you get a special blessing, right?
2. Watch. I go for quality rather than quantity.
3. Sneakers. I’ m really a sneakers person. I have vintage Nikes that are the best, most comfortable shoes ever.
4. My bed. I took advantage of Skin and designed eight-foot-high leather panels as a headboard. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s very important to like the place where you sleep.
5. TV. CNN in the morning, HBO or Cinemax at night.
6. My computer. I do a lot of research.
7. Pen. Every architect has a favorite pen they can’t live without.
8. Leather sketchpad. Rommel (Bautista, owner of Fino and his partner in Skin) gave it to me and I always take it when I travel. So when I’m waiting or I’m on the plane, I sketch. That’s when you get your best ideas, when no one is pressuring you.
9. Monographs by Franklin D. Israel. I like to refer to it from time to time.
10. Christy Baron CD. Perfect for relaxing.
11. Squash, tennis and badminton rackets. I guess it shows my enthusiasm for racket sports, but I like all sports in general.
12. My Nikon F160. I like to take architectural photographs when I travel.