NEW CENTURY PROPERTIES TOWER IN MANILA
Acqua Iguazu
Manila, Philippines
www.acqua-iguazu.com/
Century Properties Group is launching a new signature tower in Metro Manila.
The tower, called Acqua Iguazu, is the first collaboration of Century Properties with the international interior design brand yoo inspired by Starck, founded by the French designer Philippe Starck and the British real estate entrepreneur John Hitchcox.
The Php 1.7-billion development (US $41.4 million) is the fifth of six buildings to rise within the developer’s 2.4-hectare (258,000-square-foot) Mandaluyong City project called Acqua Private Residences.
“We continue to establish international collaborations because the local market has shown its readiness for branded real estate,” says Century Properties Co-COO and Managing Director Marco R. Antonio.
The Acqua Iguazu launch follows the sales of Acqua’s previous four towers: the Niagara, Sutherland, Dettifoss, and the MissoniHome-interior designed Acqua Livingstone. The target sales revenue for the new tower is Php 3.5 billion (US $85 million), while the expected total sales revenue for the entire development is Php 15 billion (US $365 million).
“There has never been a better time for real estate in the country than today,” Marco R. Antonio continues. “Ecstatic as we are about how our projects have been embraced by Filipinos, we confidently share this new project with those who are looking to upgrade their lifestyles with a distinct experience as envisioned by Mr. Philippe Starck through yoo inspired by Starck.”
Robbie R. Antonio, Century Properties Managing Director and Head for International Collaborations, says: “Our encounters with the great living designer Philippe Starck here in the Philippines have been limited to products and furniture. Given his powerful influence in the field of design, we felt there was a need to rouse our consciousness with his brand of design sensibilities. Today a select number of people will have that rare and permanent opportunity with this first-of-its-kind residence in the country.”
Acqua Iguazu will have 56 storeys and be crowned by a multi-level amenity deck, called the “Cielo”. The crown of the building will bear a spherical design statement – a tribute to the sun and moon – which will cast rays like the sun by day, and illuminate with a glow like the moon at night.
In addition, three interior design inspirations following the themes of Minimal, Nature and Culture will be showcased at the Acqua Iguazu showroom on November 21 to provide interested homeowners with reference motifs for their own units.
Marco R. Antonio is confident that the project will entice local and overseas buyers, especially urban professionals and start-up families who are familiar with Starck’s household name. “Starck and the yoo team infused the development with unique elements and a dash of the unconventional. Overall, Mr. Starck has made Acqua Iguazu a sensory, amplified living experience,” he says.
French designer Philippe Starck is known globally for his groundbreaking design and innovative spins on everyday products. The British real estate entrepreneur John Hitchcox on the other hand is credited for founding the Manhattan Loft Project, the firm responsible for giving rise to the concept of loft living across London.
In 1999, Starck and Hitchcox founded yoo inspired by Starck in a shared vision to help people to live better through good design. Since then, yoo has been working with international developers for residential, hotel and commercial projects throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, North & South Americas and the Middle East and is responsible for the design of over 10,000 homes in 31 cities. Acqua Iguazu is the first yoo inspired by Starck project in the Philippines.
Approximately 400 units will be sold, ranging from one bedroom units at 26 to 42 square meters (280 to 450 square feet), two-bedroom units at 78 to 101 square meters (840 to 1,087 square feet) and three-bedroom units at 96 to 115 square meters (1,033 to 1,238 square feet). The average price of an Acqua Iguazu unit is Php 150,000 per square meter.
Acqua Private Residences is one of Century’s four master planned developments that are currently under construction. The other four are Century City in Makati City, the Residences at Commonwealth by Century in Quezon City and the Azure Urban Resort Residences in Parañaque City.