Post-modern is out, it’s time to go Meta, says Architect Ian Fulgar

Post-modern is out, it’s time to go Meta, says Architect Ian Fulgar

Kathy Moran (The Philippine Star) - February 2, 2019 - 12:00am

‘Meta is something self-referencing. It is a term that came about because of technology, where people are more connected.’

This year, it’s time to take a larger worldview, particularly in design and how our structures are built. Metamodern architect Ian Fulgar calls this movement Metamodernism. “We are nearing the end of post-modernism, an era that is characterized by polarity — black or white, light or dark,” says architect Fulgar. “With metamodernism, you are trying to marry both polarities to come up with something new.” 

“Meta is something self-referencing,” Fulgar says. It is a term that came about because of technology, where people are more connected. This helps break down the objectivity with a more subjective point of view. “Google was kind of meta when it introduced the open office. The discipline is now one of integration, coordination, and collaboration. It does away with the traditional assembly-line method of ‘this is my job, I am done with it, and now I am passing it on to you.’ With that way of thinking, no one was able to see a larger perspective.”

“I like working with clients who are not afraid to try something new and would like to step out from the usual,” says metamodern architect Ian Fulgar

With the advancements in technology, there are also more data that can be used and translated into simulations to see how the structure can react to the atmosphere, traffic flow, and circulation. “It can help us shape our buildings better with regard to our own climate and other conditions,” he advises. Sustainability is now the trend, but builders should be going beyond that, because according to Fulgar, being environment-friendly should already be a given.

Marrying design, business and technologies

It was Fulgar’s exposure to the early stages of technology that led to his way of thinking, along with his experiences working alongside big international firms while he was based in Singapore. He came back to the Philippines in 2014 with the hope of bringing change into the country’s urban planning and design. His firm, Fulgar Architects, is known as the pioneer in metamodern designs of commercial properties, hotels, museums, shopping malls and residences.

 “We are borrowing too much from Western ideas, where they mass produce and practice assembly architecture. While we are adapting these concepts, further studies on how it will impact our way of living as Filipinos must also be considered,” he says.

A sample of a bedroom designed by Fulgar

While he admires efforts on heritage preservation, the UP Architecture grad who is also currently taking his graduate studies in the institution, is looking to make his mark on the more modern, even futuristic, side of architecture, particularly in adapting it to suit the change in lifestyle brought about by technology. “Tech is disrupting the way we live and we have to make allowances for that, with something more sensible and less traditional, while still keeping in mind our culture as Filipinos.”    
    
He has several projects in the works, where he tries to apply the metamodern approach. One is The Fortress, a fusion of medieval and modern look with streamlined feel and amenities in Angeles City, Pampanga. He is also working on the upcoming upscale resort in Puerto Galera, where he took in mind the orientation of the property to maximize its location on top of a cliff and designed the soon-to-be-built Mars Ravelo Museum. The latter is located in Tagaytay, where the paper-inspired galleries housing the work of the komiks legend, are spread out through the 2.4-hectare property.

Another ongoing design project is a high-end hotel and casino in Batangas.  The theme is origami with angular forms catering to international clientele. This landmark hotel, located on a 7,000 sqm. lot in Tanauan, will help revitalize economic activities in the area and promote tourism. Target date of launch is in 2020.

The soon-to-be-built Mars Ravelo Museum, designed by Fulgar is located in Tagaytay, where the paper-inspired galleries housing the work of the komiks legend, are spread out through the 2.4-hectare property.

“I like working with clients who are not afraid to try something new and would like to step out from the usual,” explains the versatile architect.

Architect Fulgar is also a contemporary artist and this is another area where he brings his meta-modern concepts. “Art provides a backbone to my philosophies, where concepts, tastes, and know-how come together on a canvas composed with texture, lighting, temperature and tone.”

The Fulgar Architects office is located at 2P Lee Gardens Commercial Center, Shaw Boulevard corner Lee Street, Mandaluyong City.

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