The Grand Ballroom at Okada, Manila
Hotel / Philippines / HBA Manila / Completed in 2018
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Grand Salon is the 2,000 square meter ballroom at Okada Manila. The main walls carry huge backlit Onyx stones, while the rest of the walls and partitions have a repetitive graphic design in varying hues of pink, which was inspired by the Filipiñana Terno and echo the Onyx’s more organic lines. To make the space uniquely Filipino, we used the national flower, the Waling-Waling, as a pattern inspiration for the ceiling's pixel matting feature. This is where each event held in the ballroom can be visually customized and personal beyond the usual color theme, flowers, balloons, photo walls, and stage design, because unique images can be digitally projected and rhythmically directed on each screen component on the ceiling. The floors are not the usual wood parquet or wall-to-wall carpet in a muted color. Bright coordinating colors in a frenzy of floral patterns, also inspired by the national flower, add to what can either be a psychedelic or festive feel of the venue. HBA expertly made the patterns and colors work together in a way that a blank or subdued canvass is used in most ballrooms.