St. Francis Square is a 1.30-hectare (3.2-acre) mixed-use commercial complex located in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Philippines. Groundbreaking and construction of the complex began in 1998 and was completed in 2000. Due to some controversies regarding the St. Francis Square Group of Companies, construction and the finishing of interiors were halted. Construction resumed in 2009 and the building was finished in 2011.
| St. Francis Square | |
|---|---|
 Logo for BSA Twin Towers | |
 The BSA Twin Towers | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | Ortigas Center, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°35′9.76″N 121°3′29.66″E / 14.5860444°N 121.0582389°E |
| Construction started | 1998 |
| Completed | 2000 |
| Cost | ₱550,000,000 (1998)[4] |
| Owner | St. Francis Square Group of Companies |
| Management | CE Construction |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 221 m (725 ft)[1][2] |
| Roof | 197.0 m (646.3 ft) |
| Top floor | 196.80 m (645.7 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | BSA Twin Towers: 55 floors St. Francis Square Mall: 4 floors |
| Floor area | 78,600 m2 (846,000 sq ft) (BSA Twin Towers) 23,100 m2 (249,000 sq ft) (St. Francis Square Mall) |
| Lifts/elevators | 10[3] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | R. Villarosa Architects |
| Developer | St. Francis Square Group of Companies |
| Structural engineer | D.M. Consunji, Inc.[5] |
| Main contractor | D.M. Consunji, Inc.[5] |
Complex
editBSA Twin Towers
editThe complex has three buildings, but the main two towers are the most notable properties of the complex. Each tower stands 221 metres (725 ft) high, occupying a land area of 3,037.32 square metres (32,693 sq ft) of the site's land.[3] The towers were topped off on 2000, yet was initially completed in 2011, wherein the two towers became the fourth-tallest buildings in the country. During the planning phase of the tower, the two towers were supposedly to feature a rooftop observation deck or a sky garden on their pyramid roofs, yet the plan was removed years later. The towers currently serve as a 3-star hotel and also serve as a radio transmitter of FM radio stations 90.7 Love Radio, 101.1 Yes FM and 96.3 Easy Rock; all owned by MBC Media Group. Between October and November 2019, amid the aftermath of a fire tragedy at Star City (which is located next to the MBC Building) in Pasay, the building served as a backup studio facility for the three stations, as well as temporary studios for AM radio station DZRH and community-formatted national FM network Radyo Natin.[6] At night, the towers are illuminated with a neon light display from the central part of the towers to the tower's pyramid-style roofs, with logos of the St Francis Group of Companies, AUX Aircon, and HKTV (HongKong TV) attached on the roof's exteriors.
The towers feature a lap pool, a lagoon pool, a restaurant, a children's playground, an outdoor jogging path, and a gym.[7]
St. Francis Square Mall
editThe St. Francis Square Mall is a four-storey mall located within the St. Francis Square complex. It is popularly known in the Metropolitan Manila for its advertisement jingle for the Super Tiangge shopping area which is located in this mall.[8] The mall has a total floor area of 23,100 m2 (249,000 sq ft) and are separated to the BSA Twin Towers by a massive parking lot that caters to the customers of the mall and nearby establishments.
In June 2019, the Super Tiangge area, the second and third levels of the mall, was vacated and closed for conversion as commercial and office space for business process outsourcing and other local companies.[9]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "BSA Twin Tower 1". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ "BSA Twin Tower 2". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "BSA Twin Towers". Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "Project Financing". St. Francis Square Group of Companies. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
- ^ a b "BSA Twin Tower". D.M. Consunji, Inc. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
- ^ "MBC uses back-up facilities to 'minimize interruption' after Star City fire". ABS-CBN News. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ "St Francis Hotels | Home". stfrancissuites.com.ph.
- ^ "St. Francis Square". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021.
- ^ "St. Francis Square Mall closes down tiangge area". ABS-CBN News. June 1, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
External links
edit- St. Francis Square - Official website
- BSA Twin Towers - Official website