A TRADITIONAL hand-woven Christmas tree was lit at the Cultural Center of the Philippine’s (CCP) Liwasang Asean Park last Nov. 3.
Rochelle Ong, an architecture alumna of UST, together with her partner in WTA Architecture & Design Studio, Louie Suico, mounted their winning design proposal “Habi ng Pagkakaisa: Weaving the Multi-Cultural Filipino Together.”
This year’s holiday light installation of CCP and OMNI (Yatai International Corp.) emphasized Filipino lantern-making technology and eco-friendliness in line with the theme “Paskong Pinoy.”
The young architects came up with a Christmas parol-inspired tree that “resonates the heart of the Filipino people.” The tree’s four-sided pyramid star is the first interactive installation of the whole competition.
“We wanted to make it something that can be shared and experienced–something that would make the multicultural Filipino together,” Ong told the Varsitarian in an interview.
Ong and Suico focused on the geometrical patterns of Philippines’s weaving traditions such as Luzon’s Kalinga, Visayas’ Bagtason and Mindanao’s T’boli.
The pair also used materials that were locally made.
“One big difference on this year’s proposal is it’s not just a display but it’s more inviting for the people to experience the Christmas tree firsthand,” said Thomasian Audrey Lopez, senior manager of WTA Architecture and Design.
