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Renowned architect Carlos Ott is the master planner behind Rockwell Land’s new upscale space
BUILT TO LAST by Donna Lopez Manio PHOTOGRAPHS BY jc inocian
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he audience in the West Social Hall of One Rockwell
laughs when architect Carlos Ott says that his stay in Manila would only last a week. “I’d like to stay longer. They have me working 25-hour days. But no, really—I’m a masochist.” The Uruguayborn “starchitect” lives a fast-paced life that brings him to some of the most cosmopolitan locations on the planet: Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Dubai, Toronto, Paris, Hangzhou, and Weimar, just to name a few. These international hubs are also home to buildings he has designed, each of them bearing his distinct sculptural aesthetic in architecture. “Since Rockwell hired me, they’ll have to bite the bullet and know they may end up with a funny-looking building.” This remarks elicits more laughter. However, everyone in the room knows that those who expect a “shoe box” building would be utterly disappointed. Carlos Ott is a visionary with an eye for combining adaptive and enduring design details. Best known for designing the Opéra Bastille in Paris, Carlos Ott is beloved in the world of design architecture. Forty years of practice have given him wisdom; he integrates the timeless design with the most up-to-date technology. “A fashion designer could make a collection that captures the spirit of the summer of 2012. But being an architect, I will have to design a building that will still be there after many, many years.” The conversation takes a more serious turn when the architect is prodded to talk more about how his style has evolved. “In the last 20 to 30 years, it has been imperative for architects to study every week. We’re always using new products, new technology, and new philosophies that force us to change our architecture. Today, almost everything is done through computers. We also have materials that were not used before, like titanium. Nobody would have used it 40 years ago. No one would have used solar panels. Back in the day, you construct a building, put air-conditioning, and that’s that. But today, we are worried about such details. We try to minimize the use of fuels, so we build green buildings. The buildings that are being built today are very high performance. They have to deal with new circumstances and qualities.” For the architect, newness is something to be embraced for the sake of continuous learning. Design, then, isn’t limited to the aesthetic value of a structure—it is also about how living can be optimized. These insights shared by Ott show exactly why he was tapped by the Rockwell Land Corporation to be part of the Greater Rockwell project. With an earth-friendly upscale enclave, the Lopez-owned company is looking to take Philippine urban living to a new, bold direction. This will be developed on the Colgate-Palmolive site, expanding across the Pasig River. “It’s a large project.
The question is how do we make a 2012 or a 21st-century version of Rockwell. We are challenged to come up with new ideas and concepts that still add to the theme of the residential development. Nothing has been set in stone as we speak. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas.” This dynamic perspective on how to go about the Greater Rockwell project stems from the architect’s firsthand experiences in developing cities all over the globe. Amazed by the amount of construction going on in the country, Carlos Ott foresees how the Philippines will continue on the path of growth. “The country is becoming more and more developed; the Philippines today is like Dubai 20 years ago. Manila and Makati—these areas are experiencing a lot of growth. I understand Rockwell is not Manila. But very soon, the rest of Manila will look like Rockwell. The intention is to bring the quality overseas here.” An effective architect, aside from adhering to global standards while considering sustainability, knows that details matter in intelligently designing an enclave or structure. A building’s success is relative to how it is used and perceived by its users, Carlos Ott points this out. “As regards Rockwell, we are dealing with highlevel users, so we have to smart up. The quality should be similar to what we have in New York, Shanghai. The people who will live in these residential units have seen Shanghai, New York, and Dubai. They will expect the same quality. Also, everyone wants a nice view and a clean environment. For an occupant who may stay there most of the time, we have to think about how to make his life comfortable. However, we also have to consider other users. For the neighbor, we have to realize that we’ll be creating a visual element he’ll have to live with. The tourist who will visit once in his life will want to take a photograph to associate it with the place. All of them are the building’s users.” He acknowledges how design isn’t just confined to a built structure—it spreads out and takes root in the way people live. Having the opportunity and responsibility to shape people’s lives through his work is one of the many things that keep Carlos Ott enamored of what he does. He animatedly recalls his first brush with architecture. “My father was an architect. When I was three or four (years old), I knew I wanted to be an architect. I was raised in a farm. When I was little, I’d pick up little twigs and make little houses. Architecture is a fantastic profession. Architecture in Greek means the combination of all the arts. It integrates everything: painting, sculpture, engineering—all that has to be there.” Everyone in the social hall is listening quietly, and someone asks, “What makes good architecture?” Carlos Ott enlightens us: “The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889. Mr. Eiffel wanted to build a structure and put an elevator, which was a new invention then. Initially, critics thought it was a funny-looking building. It was made out of steel and some people thought it should be taken down. No one would dare say that today. Those critics were famous, but they were proven wrong. Architects will be remembered and known by critics and perhaps by future generations. But time is the only critic.”
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