METRO MANILA | Symphony of Parols at Ayala Triangle Gardens

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Ayala Triangle Garden's Symphony of Parols

It’s been a while since I have been at the central hub of Makati’s business district and I’ve been hearing about how nice the forest at the back of Philippine Stock Exchange has now become.

The original plan for the overgrown part of the Ayala Triangle was to add two more towering steel and glass skyscrapers to complement Architect Leandro Locsin’s ultra modern Philippine Stock Exchange tower and plaza, thus the The Food Strip Along the Ayala GardenTriangle in Ayala Triangle.


I think this has now been postponed indefinitely and a new hub has formed under the shadows of Tower I, a food hub that is.

I had a chance to visit the place a few nights before Christmas for a reunion of sorts with old friends and the place had indeed made a major transformation. The 20,000 square meters forest-like parcel of land at the back of the plaza has been cleaned up; pathways have been added, lights installed, and a strip of restaurants built.

The park has a relaxed feel in the late afternoons but gets busier and busier as the night wear on. To say that the restaurants were jampacked was an understatement, queues were forming outside.

Beyond the doors of the restaurants, amongst the trees and grassy lawns, families and kids strollChristmas Lights Against Ayala Tower I about, amidst lighted skyscrapers under the blanket of the night. 

I’m not sure if the park is always this crowded or if this was just due to the Symphony of Parols (Symphony of Lanterns), a Christmas lights and sounds show, that was currently running on its last three days. The show was created by award winning light designer Voltaire de Jesus and sound designer Jethro Joaquin.

The tree-covered square at the back part of the PSE plaza was transformed for ten minutes into something that almost resembles the magical forest in the movie Avatar. All sorts of lights surrounded and danced through and across the trees along the tunes of traditional Christmas carols. It was quite mesmerizing and everyone was transfixed as the lights color the night.

I remember the annual C.O.D. Christmas presentation back when I was a kid in Cubao, it was something I really look forward to during the Yuletides. I think this show can definitely be made into something that the kids of today will look forward to during the holidays.

The people that transformed the Ayala Triangle have definitely made a good decision in finally making it a full fledged park where families can gather and eat out. The holidays may be almost over, the twinkling lights turned down, but the Garden still has those bistros, wide lawns and tree-lined pathways to offer sanctuary to those looking for a temporary respite against the bustling streets of Ayala.

An Oasis Amongst the Skyscrapers of Makati City
Trees and Skyscrapers at the Ayala Triangle Playgrounds for Kids at the Ayala TriangleA Quiet Night at the Ayala Triangle Park

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20 comments

  1. What camera are you using if you don't mind me asking? :D

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  2. John
    I usually use my Nikon D80 for wide shots and lug along my old Canon S3is for telephoto purposes. =]

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  3. havent been here.. loser ako! haha

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  4. Chyng
    Haha bat naman loser? Habol ka pa baka nakasabit pa rin mga Christmas lights!

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  5. Ang gaganda naman ng mga kuha sa UST. Parang naging araw ang gabi. ang liwanag

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  6. Anonymous
    Thanks! Pero sa may Ayala Triangle po yan sir/maam. =)

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  7. Are these all raw? Nice!

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  8. Anonymous
    Yes, all were shot in raw format. Thanks!

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  9. nice shots! lucky enough i was able to see the light show in ayala triangle. good thing i waited a little longer. the light and sound show was very nice, which lasted around 15 mins.

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  10. Leave the Cube
    Thanks, sana they hold it every year para maging parang tradition na rin sya every holidays. =)

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  11. Sir, ganda po ng mga kuha nyo. Ask ko lang kung alam mo pwede mag dala ng dslr (at tripod na din) sa ayala triangle? not for commercial purposes, but for personal lang. Thanks!

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  12. Albert
    Thanks! Yes pwede magdala ng DSLR and tripod jan. :)

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  13. dapat pala tiningnan ko muna post mo bago ako pumunta hehe. as usual galing mo talaga hihihi. parang hdr na ang dating :)

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  14. Adventurousfeet
    Haha thanks Ca! By the way, I really don't like HDR :P

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  15. gusto ko ulit pumunta! ang hirap pag nasa qc nyahaha!

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