MANILA – The Globe Tower, the corporate headquarters of the telecommunication provider, was declared the Best Commercial Development in the Philippines at the recent South East Asia Property Awards 2014 held in Singapore.
The Globe Tower, the new 27-storey headquarters for more than 4,000 employees of Globe Telecom located in Bonifacio Global City, bested Park Centrale Cebu and SM Aura Premier in this category. The structure was also shortlisted in the Best Commercial Architectural Design category, eventually obtaining a citation as “Highly Commended”.
“The Globe Tower is the embodiment of the company’s efforts to be a world-class industry leader, creating an environment that reflects our vibrant culture and passion for technology. As our company’s core values were used as basis for the design expression of the building’s interior spaces, the structure represents Globe’s aspirations of creating a strong link between consumers, people and the community,” Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu said.
The Globe Tower also recently bagged two awards at the Philippine Property Awards, where it was named Best Commercial Architectural Design and Best Commercial Development (Office category). The awards made The Globe Tower eligible to compete at the South East Asia Awards.
Organized by Ensign Media, the regional property awards followed more than six months of comprehensive deliberation and site visits across South East Asia, involving the best property developments in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Ayala Land, Globe Telecom’s sister company, emerged as Best Developer in the region after it was declared Best Developer at the Philippine Property Awards.
The Globe Tower was designed to diverge from its rigid, box-type predecessors, opting for an angular form that breaks down the tower’s mass, making it a stand-out structure at the Bonifacio Global City. The angles are softened by the use of glass that reflects the surrounding environment. The facade’s overall look is a play on the signal bar icon on mobile phones.
The building shows a balance between formal and informal spaces, with meeting rooms with glass frontage and open work areas designed to promote transparency and movement. The simplicity of the plan and layout allows for maximum usage, flexibility and change.
The Globe Tower has 19 office floors with open work areas, meeting rooms and themed breakout rooms designed for impromptu employee meetings as well as huddle rooms that feature acoustically-treated branded walls and glass whiteboards. There are LED TV screens in selected locations for digital information and announcements. On the 19th Floor is the Employee Center, furnished with café-style round tables, warm circular lights and geometric carpets. It provides various services such as IT Bar, prayer room, clinic, Mom’s room, banking center and a Globe boutique.
The building also has a dedicated floor called “The Forum” for large group gatherings, meetings or simply chatting with guests. The tower’s ground floor showcases the main lobby and an elegant glass staircase leading to The Loft where the Globe Store and Showroom is located. The Globe concept store operates to serve employees and clients. Across the grand staircase is a resto-bar, the Lifestyle Bar.
The building also has a cafeteria floor aptly named Taste where all payments are made through GCash. Taste accommodates 600 seats and offers international and local cuisine food stalls and kiosks. In addition, the tower has three landscaped outdoor balcony gardens. The building also has nine parking levels.
Following energy efficiency standards, the building makes use of 100 percent LED lights which significantly reduces lighting use, efficient water consumption and air handling, strict waste segregation and disposal.
