However, the initial ideas presented to the team weren’t exactly a match for the location. “Their idea presented a series of pointed roofs that were supposed to represent sails as Cebu is an island surrounded by the sea,” Pineda says. “But that wasn’t the right peg as sails are not endemic to the local seafarers.”

The surrounding waters and the shoreline, nevertheless, became the inspiration for the actual design of the airport. The terminal’s structures are a series of 15x30m arches that, when seen from a distance, call to mind the undulating waves. Likewise, the floors take inspiration from the province’s famed beaches as pieces of locally-sourced mother-of-pearl are embedded into the glistening white surface. The structure is further divided into departure and arrival areas by a two-storey walkway overlooking a green space below.

At the same time, the new terminal is also a working example of sustainability on an institutional level. Working counters are made from locally sourced materials such as rattan. Glass walls allow a large amount of natural ambient light into the structure, minimising the need for electrical lighting in the daytime. Another interesting point is how very little steel was used in the construction of the gracefully arched roofs; instead, the massive arches were made of glue-laminated spruce lumber (a material referred to as glulam) from the Austrian lumber company Rubner Holzbau.

“We wanted a certain level of authenticity,” Pineda adds, “to play up locally sourced materials and natural elements. The people from Rubner were actually dubious about the project at first, but after their representative came to Cebu and experienced the location for himself, they were sold on the project.”

Indeed, the glulam beams supporting the structure serve to enhance the play on culture and tradition, evoking the bare beams found in native homes throughout the archipelago.

“This was where we really went for authenticity,” Pineda declares with pride.

“If we had used steel beams, it would have looked like any other airport anywhere in the world. But, if we had used steel and covered it with wood, it would have felt fake and pretentious. Glulam was the best choice here, in terms of both structural and aesthetic integrity, as it is both dur able and pleasing to the eye.”

Such has been the appeal of this unique design that MCIA Terminal 2 has won international design awards long before it opened to the public: the 2016 Autodesk BIM Merit Prize, as well as the 2017 Kohler Bold Look Award. The terminal was also nominated for the Hong Kong Green Building Award in 2016.

BETTER AND MORE CONVENIENT

But MCIA Terminal 2 is more than just a spectacular design showcase that presents the brilliance of local talents collaborating with some of the world’s best in the field of construction. In terms of functionality, it is set to ease some of the str ain experienced at Terminal 1 as some major air carriers will be assigned to land exclusively at the new facility.

At present, there are 48 check-in counters, which can be further expanded to a total of 72, as well as  seven passenger boarding bridges. 12 escalators and 15 elevators have been installed to help passengers get around the facility faster, and the parking lot can accommodate a total of 550 vehicles at any given time. Even security checks are made easier by the addition of an Automatic Tray Return System (ATRS) which minimises the need to look for trays in which to put one’s belongings at the x-ray counters.

Bringing together the best of local design and foreign technology, the multinational effort involved in the development and construction of Terminal 2 can be seen as an updated way of showing the cooperative spirit Filipinos are known for. “Collaboration is the modern bayanihan,” Pineda opines. “Not only does it help us get these projects done, but we are able to teach something of our culture to our foreign collaborators even as we learn from them.”

As MCIA Terminal 2 opens its doors to the travelling public, one may think that the local talents who played a role in its unique design would be more than happy to bank on this particular success. But this is just one among several institutional projects  currently being undertaken by Budji+Royal, as the team is also working on a fresh design for the Clark International Airport in Pampanga—once again bringing Filipino warmth and flair to welcoming the world to our shores.

Photos courtesy of Megawide Construction Corporation