With so many skyscrapers currently standing and soon to be standing at the Bonifacio Global City commercial and business district, it is to forget that BGC has quite a few surprises to offer. One of them: an arts and culture hub in the middle of this busy district.
While this hub is not as massive as venues like the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the BGC Arts Center fills the need for a place in this part of the concrete urban jungle where the humanities can thrive and be appreciated by a people who need some respite from the madness of urban living.
Inaugurated in 2016, the BGC Arts Center was realized with the help of the different corporate sponsors which have a significant presence at BGC. As a way of acknowledging their contributions, many of the areas in the BGC Arts Center have been named after these sponsors. For instance, the center’s open space park is named the Alveo Central Plaza. The outdoor performing arts venue is named the Sun LIfe Amphitheater.
Then there’s the three-storey building which is the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, where much of the activity in the arts hub is concentrated such as live performances and art exhibits The theater building itself is comprised of three main areas, each dedicated to specific types of events.
For theatrical productions and public performances, they are being held at the 500-seater Globe Auditorium. For recital sessions and intimate performances, they are held at the Zobel de Ayala recital hall at the second level. Meanwhile, exhibits and workshops are held at the Exhibit Hall at the third level.
Globe Auditorium (Image courtesy of the BGC Arts Center)
Globe Auditorium (image courtesy of the BGC Arts Center)
In addition, there are also lounges/gathering spaces allotted throughout the Maybank Performing Arts Theater. One of which, called the NutriAsia Del Monte Lobby, boasts an art installation done by Jaime Zobel de Ayala himself.
Image courtesy of the BGC Arts Center
Corporate naming rights aside, the BGC Arts Center helps fill the important role of the arts and culture in taming and enriching the soul of an urban landscape that has been usually perceived as a dour environment. Hopefully, it will continue playing such a vital role in revitalizing the metropolis as a way to make it a more livable community.
For more information, visit the BGC Arts Center website
Acknowledgements as well to International Business Times
