CamSur’s New Capitol Building Is Inspired By The Pili Nut
The innovative building designed by CAZA is expected to start groundbreaking in 2019
The province of Camarines Sur is known for quite a few things—its beautiful geography, world-class watersports complex, and of course, its number-one delicacy: pili nuts. A valuable export product and a symbol of the Bicol region, the pili nut is also the primary inspiration behind CamSur Capitol, the future base of the Camarines Sur provincial government.
The innovative design is the brainchild of CAZA, a New York-based architecture firm led by Fil-Am architect Carlos Arnaiz. The new Capitol is a spiraling structure made of pili-shaped husks, which looks like a giant flower when viewed from the sky, or a mountain when viewed from the horizon. These pili-shaped husks are actually metal sun-screens, meant to prevent too much heat from entering the building.
The CamSur Capitol will also feature four levels: a parking level, a podium level that is accessible to the public, an admin level, and a governor’s quarter level. The podium level leads into the open-air atrium, which will have a spiral ramp leading to a rooftop viewing deck that looks out onto Mt. Isarog.
According to Camarines Sur Governor Miguel Luis R. Villafuerte, construction will begin in 2019 and will take place over three to four years. “We’re also going to push for national funding as we believe this can be a national icon,” he said. "With this project, we are showing that in the province of Camarines Sur we have a vision."
