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The Destination Pit Stop: The Visitor Center design competition


The Destination Pit Stop: The Visitor Center design competition by AVID competition, one of the largest design competition in the Philippines. I decided to join the competition to exhibit my design skills, so for months I researched about the concept that will fit the theme, Destination Pit Stop: Visitor Center.

In the competition brief, there are 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites that one can choose from  where to put the Destination Pit Stop: Visitor Center. There’s the Tubbataha reef natural park, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Historic town of Vigan, Puerto Princessa Subterranean river, and the Baroque churches of the Philippines.

I chose the Historic town of Vigan because I am into Spanish era here in the Philippines. I love the Philippine’s history because it molded us to who we are now. By putting the visitor center here in the historical town of Vigan, I have to be careful that my design will blend in the existing structures in Vigan. It’s a challenge for me because I wanted to introduce a fresh design concept but still preserve the historical appeal of the place. I also have to be careful because the structure is beside the UNESCO World heritage site in which there are a number of restrictions.

Karayan: Bridging the Tradition and the Contemporary

Karayan, the Ilocano term for river, shall be the name of the structure that signifies the importance of the role of the rivers – Abra and Mestizo – located in Vigan City, Ilocus Sur.



It is a strong, sustainable edifice that shall exhibit Vigan’s rich heritage and contribution to the Philippine culture and society during the Spanish era. It shall be located where the Plaza Maestro now stands and shall face the Heritage Village to amplify its importance to our rich tradition and how the preservation of the houses in the area reflect our respect to our ancestry and birthright.

Karayan is a through and through structure to show how the concept of the river is integrated in it. The Abra and Mestizo rivers, the primary inspiration of the concept of the structure, contributed to Vigan’s economy and culture since these rivers connected the province to the mainland, thus providing opportunities for trade and enriching the culture.

Abel, the traditional woven product of Vigan, is the secondary inspiration of the structure. Known for its strength and rich color, this family heirloom is a perfect input on the design that depicts reverence for our centuries-old customs yet incorporates modernism showing that looking back to our roots does not necessarily mean complacency and resistance to change. This structure shall show that the combination of traditional and contemporary beliefs can bring about change, progress and success.

Its rectangular form, according to psychology, suggests trustworthiness, honesty and stability, which the structure exemplifies.  This same shape may seem common, boring and a non-attention-getter, but the tilting of the corners gives a solution to this and also points to the most important place in the city being showcased – the Heritage Village.

PROCESS DIAGRAM

1.    Box – Started with a rectangular shape box, it symbolizes trust, worthiness, honesty and stability.

2.    Push – Created open spaces, path and walkways to encourage walking in order to provide a healthy lifestyle.

3.    Pull – Pulled the two corners pointing to the heritage village and plazas, showing respect to the destination spots in Vigan.

4.    Abel – Blanketed the structure for protection and to make the structure habitable.

5.   Two- Dimension – Made the Abel pattern two-dimensional to make it buildable and much more affordable without sacrificing the quality of the design. The woven pattern makes the structure well ventilated.
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