Filipino design takes center stage at the Parklinks Experience Center
Along one of Metro Manila’s busiest corridors is an unexpected pocket of green.
Parklinks, the 35-hectare mixed-use estate jointly developed by Ayala Land and Eton Properties Philippines, has been envisioned as an urban haven where greenery is not simply an amenity around buildings, but an essential part of how people experience the place.
Half of the estate, or approximately 17.5 hectares, is dedicated to parks, gardens, and open spaces—a rare proposition along the C-5 corridor between Quezon City and Pasig.
Now, Parklinks is revealing another dimension of that experience—one brought to life through Filipino design.
PhilSTAR Property attended the launch of the Parklinks Experience Center, a space that goes beyond the traditional property showroom to offer visitors a tangible sense of the lifestyle, design, and community envisioned for the estate.
Designed by internationally acclaimed interior designer JJ Acuña, the center celebrates Philippine creativity through handcrafted materials, local artisanship, and contemporary design.
And true to its name, the center is meant to be experienced—not simply seen.
“This is a real opportunity for people to have a relationship with design,” Acuña said. “Unlike art that hangs on the wall and you’re afraid to touch, design is very tactile.”
He hopes visitors will look closely at the textures, tiles, and wood, touch them and develop a relationship with the space.
A contemporary filipino expression
For Acuña, creating something Filipino did not mean looking only to the past.
His inspiration came partly from traveling around Southeast Asia and seeing how places such as Bangkok and Vietnam bring modern lifestyles and contemporary tastes together with heritage and history. He wanted to bring that same spirit to the Philippines.
Central to that vision was working with Filipino artisans and craftsmen—and presenting their work in a contemporary, premium setting.
“With Ayala Land and Eton Properties Philippines bringing in these local craftsmen, together we are rebuilding this new reality that I have in my mind of amazing Philippine design, architecture, furniture, detailing, all of that fun stuff in the Parklinks Experience Center,” Acuña said. “So, we’re essentially rebuilding for the community this concept of Philippine renaissance and design.”
It is perhaps one of the Experience Center’s strongest statements: Filipino craftsmanship does not have to sit apart from contemporary luxury. It can help define it.
Acuña reinforced that belief when he spoke about championing the country’s makers.
“I wanted to bring in my friends who are artisans and craftsmen and showcase their work at a luxury level,” he said. “This is a renaissance in design. We should really look at our artisans and our crafts. They can do this, we can all do this, and we can help push this country forward.”
For future homeowners, the center is also intended to inspire ideas they can bring into their own spaces while introducing them to the Filipino artisans and suppliers behind the work.
More than a showroom
The Experience Center was designed with another important idea in mind: its life beyond selling property.
For Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala, Creative Director of Ayala Land, Acuña brought a willingness to question what a conventional property showroom could become.
“JJ got us to think differently about how we present our showrooms and sales offices,” she said. “We started thinking about how we could create an Experience Center instead of a traditional sales office.”
Acuña imagined the building eventually becoming an “intersection space” for people living within and around Parklinks—a natural extension of an estate built around greenery and community.
“I like the idea of Parklinks because there’s greenery all around. People can go jogging, walk their dogs, then come here to rest, relax, and be part of a community,” he said. “The idea of creating a community space was really my angle.”
The idea fits the larger Parklinks vision. Its green spaces include Central Park, River Park Terraces, Riparian Gardens, and the River Esplanade, while the Parklinks Bridge connects its Quezon City and Pasig sides across the Marikina River with dedicated lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.
For Zobel de Ayala, what ultimately matters is that people recognize the care behind the space.
“I hope that when people come to the Experience Center, they see that the people who built it care enough to add value to their lifestyle in the long run,” she said, “because this will be standing here for many years once they move in.”
In a dense metropolis, Parklinks is an urban gem shaped by an unusual abundance of open space. Its Experience Center adds a distinctly Filipino dimension to that sense of place.
Through local materials, artisanship, and contemporary creativity, it demonstrates that creating a meaningful place is not only about what we build, but also about whose stories, skills, and identity we bring into it.
Parklinks at a glance
- 35 hectares — A mixed-use estate jointly developed by Ayala Land and Eton Properties Philippines, spanning Quezon City and Pasig along C-5.
- 50% open space — Approximately 17.5 hectares are dedicated to parks, gardens and open spaces.
- Four signature green spaces — Central Park, River Park Terraces, Riparian Gardens, and the River Esplanade.
- Parklinks Bridge — Connects the Quezon City and Pasig portions of the estate across the Marikina River, with dedicated pedestrian and cycling lanes.
- Residential choices — Parklinks North and South Towers by Ayala Land Premier offer one- to four-bedroom residences, while Alveo Land’s The Lattice at Parklinks offers studio to three-bedroom units.
- Connected location — Frontage along C-5 with access to Ortigas Avenue, Katipunan Avenue and EDSA, with major commercial destinations and schools nearby.
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