Removing gates and fences from public architecture can multiply community value.
Picture a morning in Laoag City, Philippines: university students walk directly onto a professional athletics track without showing identification. Families spread blankets on a grassy hillside that serves as stadium seating. Joggers circle the perimeter while birdsong fills the air from century-old trees lining a pedestrian promenade. The Ferdinand E Marcos Stadium, designed by WTA Architecture and Design Studio and recognized with a Golden A' Design Award in 2024, demonstrates an expansive vision for public facilities: infrastructure funded by communities should welcome those communities fully. By eliminating gates, ticketing systems, and perimeter fencing, WTA created a 12,000-seat venue functioning as both stadium and park. The southern face opens entirely to a sloping lawn ascending to an amphitheater. Warm-up tracks beneath the seating operate freely for anyone. The design team spent months demonstrating to stakeholders that openness would amplify the facility's value.
The business case for open design emerges through observation. Security infrastructure in facilities typically requires construction materials, ongoing maintenance, staffing, and administrative systems. WTA eliminated security-related construction and operating costs while generating something more valuable: daily community presence. The exterior wraps in corrugated PVC panels arranged in the traditional Ilocano Binakol weaving pattern, the same optical illusion design used for wrapping newborn infants and veiling brides. Local residents recognize the cultural reference immediately, generating emotional connection before consciously registering the structure's scale. Every material came from regional suppliers. Every construction worker lived locally. The $20 million total cost achieved through disciplined local sourcing meant economic benefits remained within the community. Since completion in May 2023, the stadium has hosted the largest gatherings in the province while serving daily joggers, students, and families treating the space as their own.
For brands commissioning large-scale community spaces, Ferdinand E Marcos Stadium offers a valuable insight: openness generates remarkable engagement. WTA Architecture and Design Studio demonstrated that cultural authenticity, local sourcing, and radical accessibility combine to create facilities that communities claim as their own. What might your organization build if welcome became the primary design objective?
