New Senate Building Design

The Senate building or office is set to transfer to Fort Bonifacio and they are currently in the process of doing so. The decision has been finalized after the Senate, together with the Bsaes Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) chose the specific design and firm for the new building. Senator Panfilo Lacson, one of the Senators who had a voice in the bidding said that their idea of relocating and innovating for a new design is an idea of seventeen (17) years. Currently, the Senate is renting a place in Pasay City at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for a P127 million yearly payment.

In total, there were five (5) firms who had the chance to bid for the new senate building design. However, AECOM won the Global conceptual design competition last May 2018.

Senator Win Gatchalian proudly posted the photo of the future Senate building design by AECOM in his Instagram account.

The photo got mixed reactions through the comments of some people. Some were excited with the fact that there will be a new kind of architecture in the Philippines while some were disappointed with the fact that they are going for a new look and for a new touch to the Senate building even when the government is not capable of changing the country for the better.

The land that the new Senate building will be occupying is owned by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in Taguig City, specifically, Navy Village in Fort Bonifacio. The cost? It is a staggering P1.8 billion.

In other news, Antipolo City, a city in the Eastern part of the Philippines, offered a 25-hectare land to be the new home of the Senate. They are even offering it for free!

Senator Bam Aquino and Risa Hontiveros were the only ones who chose the Antipolo bid and lot and the other fourteen (14) senators had a landslide vote for the BGC lot.

Since this is the case, the BGC lot is now the lot where the New Senate Building is going to be built. Senator Panfilo Lacson said that AECOM will be the one to create the innovative and breathtaking new design of the senate building. According to him, a AECOM won by a 0.36-point deficit from their second choice.

Finally, after careful review and evaluation of the Technical Evaluation Committee, BCDA officials, the senators of the 17th Congress, and the Senate community, it is my honor to confirm before this august chamber the winner of the Global Conceptual Design Competition for the new home of the Philippine Senate is AECOM, with a mere 0.36-point difference from our second choice.”

Senator Lacson also said that this selection is the mark of the end of their project’s 2nd phase; only three (3) more phases left. The next phase would be the procurement of the design and the build; the phase wherein they will get the final blueprint of the new design for them to be able to prepare for it.

This, according to Senator Panfilo Lacson, will consist of the bidding for the contractor who would handle the construction which should have had been finalized by now.

Construction of the new Senate building shall start in January of 2019 and will take approximately two (2) years. However, some say that it will be completed in December of 2020 and would be then followed by the last step which would be the purchasing/buying and the installation of fixtures and networks.

If everything will fall into play, the opening of the Congressional Session in the year 2021 will be done and held in the new building. This design is being compared to the Reichstag of Germany, the United States Capitol, and the Palace of Westminister.

The design actually has a symbol that most Filipinos are not noticing. The four (4) buildings that you see actually represents the four pillars of democracy, these are Equality, Justice, Freedom, and Representation. In most cases, the fourth, but definitely not the least pillar, represents the Press.

What do you think about the New Senate Building Design? Do you think that the design is something that can heighten the economy of the country? By looking at the minimalist and modern design of the new Senate building, it’s pretty clear that our country is aiming to follow the steps of other countries with the hopes that our livelihood, economy, and overall grade will hike as well.

We do hope that this change is the beginning of the improvement that we all are looking for in our country.

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