The Philippine Bank of Communications Tower, more commonly known as PBCom Tower, is an office skyscraper ranked officially as the second tallest building in the Philippines. It was previously the tallest building in the Philippines, a title it held starting year 2000 until the completion of Metrobank Center in early 2017. It has a total ground to architectural top height of , with 52 storeys including an 8-level radio tower. It is a joint development of Filinvest Asia Corporation (FAC) and the Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCom). The building is the home of PBCom, one of the oldest Philippine banks. The bank occupies the building's first ten floors, with a food court on the seventh floor.

Location

The building is located at Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street in Makati, right inside the Makati Central Business District. The stretch of Ayala Avenue where PBCom Tower is located also has the main branches of Bank of the Philippine Islands, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, and Security Bank. The building houses international call centers such as Convergys, HSBC HDPP, and ICT.<!--PROVIDE A REFERENCE-->

Design and construction

thumb|210px|left|The building in July 2005

PBCom Tower was designed by local architectural firm GF & Partners Architects, in cooperation with international architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP; and structural design was provided by local engineering company Aromin & Sy + Associates.

Besides these companies, other members of the design team include Edgett Williams Consulting Group (Elevator Design), Golder Associates, Inc. (Seismic Study); Fisher, Marantz, Rentro, Stone (Lighting consultant); Shel Milson & Wilke (Acoustic Analysis); CDC Limited (Curtain Wall design); Control Risks, Inc. (Security System design); N.B.F. Water & Wastewater Services (Sanitary System design); DCCD Engineering Corp. (Electrical Systems design); R.J. Calpo & Partners (Mechanical Systems design); and Radian Technology, Inc. (Fire Protection System design).

Its exterior double-glazed, unitized curtain walls in aluminum frames, together with a lighting effect, create a facade that reflects a fusion of art and function. Its interiors are made of glass, natural stone and metal. A landscaped garden in stepped podium also adds to the natural effect of the building's design. The building also utilizes tinted insulated vision glass at full height for the curtain walls to seal off heat and noise.

See also

  • List of tallest buildings in the Philippines

References

  • PBCom Tower website
  • PBCom Tower Leasing Information
  • Location Map of PBCom Tower at Ayala Maps website