WORK! WORK! WORK!
INTERIOR ARCHITECT/DESIGNER NEEDED:A friend of mine is looking for an interior architect. He is opening up a coffee shop in a place called Plaza Santiago right in front of Fort Santiago in Intramuros (above). He and some partners obtained the rights to the name of "Cafe Rizal". Cafe Rizal hopes to be a restaurant/bar/coffee shop that will evoke the charm of old Intramuros but will be fresh and hip as well. The image and idea of Jose Rizal would also have to be used liberally in the design for this establishment. If you or someone you know is interested in designing this coffee shop, email me at celdrantours@hotmail.com and I'll get you in touch with the folks concerned.
View of Fort Santiago in Front of Plaza Santiago.
View from the roof of the building.Labels: work work work
posted by carlosceldran @ 12:53 AM
5 Comments:
Why do I have a feeling that Plaza Santiago seems out of place? That's not Castillean/Antillean architecture, is it?
In fairness, the building looks better in real life. And it was done according to specs approved by Intramuros Administration. And that's exactly why they need a designer. To bring the character out.
Carlos,
Is that a newly-constructed building or is it a restored pre-existing structure?
Two Chinese friends visited us who were also here for business. They wanted to learn about Manila/Philippines in 5 days and I immediately thought about our living national treasure (Carlos Celdran). Unfortunately, they arrived late Thursday afternoon so they missed the Intramuros Tour. So they had to settle with MOA, Tagaytay, The Fort, driving around Intramuros and Binondo.
I really wish we had a master-planned metropolis with preserved and restored architecture. That way visitors who are only here even for just a couple of days can get the gist of our beautiful history. (First impression is the key.) Unfortunately, we have a city very much like a faded puzzle with missing pieces.
Carlos, how much would it cost to fully restore Intramuros? Just curious :) Is it an impossible task to organize a restoration movement? Or is Intramuros fully dependent on government budget?
It's a newly constructed building.
And sadly, restoring Intramuros AUTHENTICALLY would cost billions of pesos. Just the hardwood and adobe masonry alone would be insane.
There are ways to do it privately, anyone can under auspices of Intramuros Administration. But the government is mostly in charge of this.
I think the building is in HARMONY with the cultural image of Intramuros.
It's long overdue the government is keeping an eye on developing our forgotten heritage.
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