Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 1 stands as a renewed gateway to the Visayas, an architecture shaped by rhythm, flow, and presence. The transformation gave way for the spirit of place to reveal itself, imbued with dignity and grace.
By opening the enclosed offices that once stood before the departure bay, the terminal expanded through release rather than addition. Now, space flows. Height is felt. Light is honored.
The result is a grand, maaliwalas departure hall generous in scale and grounded in simplicity. Ceilings were revealed, sightlines extended, and daylight now moves freely across stone and structure. Throughout the day, the architecture shifts with time, weather, and shadow. The terminal becomes alive with quiet variation.
This is the essence of permeability, where space invites movement, where design connects seamlessly. Air, people, and purpose flow across thresholds in harmony.
At the center of this renewal is the Airport Village. Once a drive-through pickup zone open to vehicles and exposed to the elements, it is now a shared spine for people. A semi-opaque canopy gently shades the space, softening light, inviting air, and offering the calm of the tropics. It is neither indoors nor outdoors, but simply exists in between, accessible to all.
Here, locals, tourists, and travelers converge. Lined with restaurants and retail both international and distinctly Cebuano, it offers pause, discovery, and delight. It is not just a stopover, it is a place to experience Cebu.
And while much has evolved, what is true remains. The original Mactan stone flooring and column cladding, authentic, tactile, and rooted in place, were preserved and revealed. Because to move forward is also to remember.
Through clearer zoning and expanded circulation, Terminal 1 rises with a renewed sense of purpose. It is modern, yet deeply Cebu.
Above it all, the new roofline forms a quiet silhouette, echoing the mountain ranges of the island it serves. A gentle statement of grounding, terrain, and identity.
To reveal what already belongs.
To move forward, without letting go.
To create architecture that connects with people, with place, with time.
