From Bronze-Clad Podiums to Sky Gardens, One Taft Offers a Fresh Take on Metro Manila’s Vertical Lifestyle.
Skyscrapers have long embodied progress, from Chicago’s pioneering Home Insurance Building to New York’s Chrysler and Empire State towers. In the Philippines, this tradition continues with bold designs that reshape the skyline. Among these is One Taft, a 36-storey residential tower in Pasay City that blends modern living with the calming presence of greenery.
The project stands on a 2,856-square-meter lot, with just over half of the site occupied by the tower to make room for landscaped gardens and open pedestrian spaces. Its sculptural podium is wrapped in bronze perforated aluminum panels, complemented by an art deco-inspired vertical garden. This thoughtful combination softens the structure’s presence while creating a distinct identity within Metro Manila’s dense urban fabric.
Situated between Taft Avenue and Manila Bay, the development enjoys both accessibility and scenic views. Yet this orientation also brings heat and noise from the west. To address these challenges, the design integrates a generous front garden and bronze cladding that provide shading, sound insulation, and concealment for the podium’s multi-level parking — turning necessity into visual statement.
The podium itself hosts more than infrastructure. Retail spaces activate the ground level, while parking spans several floors behind patterned ACP panels that filter light and air. Higher up, residents enjoy shared amenities: lush gardens, a swimming pool, and the “City Room” on the 10th floor, designed as a social hub for leisure and community. Rising above, the residential tower offers a range of layouts — from studios to two-bedroom units — all oriented for efficiency, privacy, and sweeping views of the bay and the city.
True to its name, One Taft weaves nature throughout the tower. A landscaped rear garden anchors the site, while private pocket gardens appear every fourth floor in open-air corridors, or “dragon gates.” These elevated green spaces create a layered garden experience, redefining vertical living as not only urban and modern, but also restorative and deeply connected to nature.
Studio Shots
Sharing Fulgar Architects unique and meta-modern architectural design studio processes and considerations for One Taft in Pasay from understanding site conditions, investment goals, planning, engineering, BIM technologies, interiors, and landscaping to construction recommendations.
