Mactan Cebu International Airport (mycebu.ph)

The Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 copped the top prize in the Completed Buildings-Transport category in the recent World Architecture Festival in The Netherlands.

The terminal was hailed for its “simple and elegant” structure, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

“This is a simple and elegant new airport that uses many locally-sourced materials. It is integrated into the local area through the development of a local hub and a landscape plan,” one of the judges posted on the World Architecture Festival website.

The airport’s internal spaces were also described as “light and uncluttered and the design is capable of future extension. It is clearly popular with the local community and this established a memorable travels [sic] experiences.”

The terminal was designed by the Hong Kong-based architectural firm Integrated Design Associates with support from Budji+Royal and Kenneth Cobonpue and is a project of Megawide Corp. and India’s GMR Group.

“With Mactan being the second busiest international airport in the Philippines, this architecturally astounding building serves as an important gateway to the Philippines,” the DOT said in a statement.

The agency agreed that among its strengths are its “simple elegance, its innovative use of both foreign and locally-sourced materials, and its oneness with its surroundings”.

“The building’s roof is meant to represent the ocean, while its expansive and exposed internal structure reminds one of the hull of a boat; its brightness and openness of space, deeply symbolic of the Filipinos’ welcoming nature,” it added. (PNA)