The site is bound by Kalayaan Avenue on the south side, Salamanca Street on the east, Valdez Street on the north and Spring Street on the west. Access and egress is offered from all sides except the west, although the southern connection to Kalayaan and the eastern connection between the site and Makati Avenue by means of General Luna Street are considered the main “front doors” to the development.

 

   The development is organized in 5 different parcels plus a site dedicated for public use (school). The central parcel (parcel # 4) contains the majority of the retail program and the open spaces and acts as a connector to all of the other parcels surrounding it. This central parcel also organizes the access, egress and parking facilities for all visitors to the development.

The retail parcel is accessed from Kalayaan and General Luna. From here, vehicular circulation enters the development on the grade level into the central parking structure and can go down from there. An underutilized service street along Kalayaan is re-used to direct traffic from Makati Avenue into the development, thereby allowing for Kalayaan to serve two-way traffic between the IS and Makati Avenue . The retail program starts at grade level and steps up to 4 more levels above the entrance. The parcels of the development (hotel and mixed use) are organized around the retail parcel, and each have their own access and egress off of adjacent streets, accommodate their own parking needs and can all incorporate more retail into the lower building levels.

 

   Each of the surrounding parcels can be developed separately yet its vehicular and pedestrian circulation is also connected to the central retail parcel. In this manner, the entire site will be perceived as an integrated development at full build-out. Residents, users and visitors will have the benefit of experiencing close and seamless connections to all the uses and amenities offered on the site.

   The IS presents a mix of urban functions that are complementary to each other and all add up to a vibrant urban center. The central retail portion offers indoor as well as outdoor retail environments. The indoor portion offers a 3-storey covered arcade that is designed as a curving canyon, circulating between the two main entrances of the development and covered by a continuous skylight. Anchor retail stores and boutique retail is organized on 3 levels along the sides of the canyon. The outdoor portion of the retail environment presents itself as stepping terraces oriented toward the south and the views of the downtown skyline.

Mixed-use buildings are located on parcels 2, 3, and 5. These towers can accommodate office as well as residential or hospitality functions. For now, they are visualized as towers representing the GFA that can be accommodated on those parcels. The final tower shapes will have to be adapted according to its final functions. The access and egress for both parcels are accommodated from Valdez and Salamanca Streets and the vehicular circulation is also connected to the central retail parcel (parcel # 4). On the parcels, the lower levels of the towers are connected to semi-private terraces and gardens located on top of the podium. From here, pedestrian circulation connects each parcel into the central retail portion.

 

   Overall, the development is designed with variety of users, residents and visitors in mind. The complimentarity of the project components also offers added benefits to each of the elements. Residents can benefit from the adjacency of retail, entertainment, food and beverage. The hotel offers access to spa facilities and meeting rooms. Hotel guests do not have to leave the premises for access to retail and restaurants. The employees of the 24-hour functioning offices populate the bars and restaurants at various hours of the day. The variety of open spaces offers meeting places for everybody.

   The overall environment offered in IS is inspired by a naturalistic environment: the collection of strong tower shapes is connected by a green landscape reminiscent of terraced hillsides. The pedestrian and public areas of the project – both indoor as well as outdoor – are completely separated from vehicular circulation and provide for a multi-level spatial environment that provides for a completely different experience than the regular ground plane of the city.