Plans for a museum of contemporary art in the Philippines are back on track after pandemic-related delays.
Ayala Land, a prominent real estate developer, first unveiled the project in 2018, aiming to establish the Contemporary Art Center in Circuit Makati, the site of the former Santa Ana Park racetrack.
Though initially shelved in early 2020, the project resumed momentum in late 2023, with Ayala Land announcing that development is officially underway.
Once completed, the center is envisioned to be a "world-class museum" and the Philippines’ "permanent home for contemporary art."
It will join other cultural hubs in Circuit Makati, such as the Samsung Performing Arts Theater and the Power Mac Center Spotlight Black Box Theater.
The structure will be designed by internationally acclaimed architects: Kulapat Yantrasat, a Los Angeles-based Thai designer known for his contributions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre in Paris, and Ed Calma, the Filipino architect behind The Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City and the School of Design and Arts in Manila.
Key features of the museum include:
- 2,200-square-meter gallery space divided into three multi-storey galleries (one major and two minor).
- 400-square-meter educational space.
- Outdoor events and public art areas.
Ayala Museum will oversee operations of the new center, though a museum or artistic director has yet to be named.
Construction is also aligned with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Project, given its proximity to the river.
With an anticipated completion date in 2027, portions of the site behind Circuit Makati are already fenced off in preparation.
Photo Courtesy: PhilStar Global
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