Manila City of Pearl

The brief

New Manila Bay, City of Pearl, sits at the heart of Manila like a jewel on the water. At 407 hectares, it is planned as the largest self-sustaining smart city in Asia, home to more than 500,000 residents and over 100,000 jobs.

Manila has a long-standing shortage of urban living space. Reclamation offers a real way to create new room for homes and communities for Filipino families.

Challenge

The brand had to capture what makes this smart city special and inspire residents and investors to call it home. With dozens of audiences, from future residents and developers to the national government, building one strategy that spoke to all of them was the hardest part.

Research

We studied how Manila's existing business districts developed to see which improvements would add the most value, from infrastructure to community spaces. We also looked at other major Philippine cities and how they serve their citizens.

Solution

City of Pearl was conceived as a high-end destination, so we centred the brand on technology that adds real value and makes the most of every square metre. Together with our technology partners, the vision became the most technologically advanced city in the Philippines.

What we delivered

The outcome

The UAA Kinming Development group secured government approval for the vision and the project, with Yoka and HPA Architects delivering the core strategy and visuals. Construction was set to begin in 2022, with the first residents expected by 2030.