The McMicking Memorial unveiled at Ayala Triangle Gardens

A memorial to Colonel Joseph McMicking and Mrs. Mercedes Zobel-McMicking, who are credited for their significant contributions to the development of Makati’s financial district and the rest of the country, was unveiled recently at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. The courtyard where the memorial now stands was also named the McMicking Courtyard.

The designers of the art piece along with Ayala Land heads

The memorial’s art piece, designed by Leandro V. Locsin Partners in collaboration with Ayala Land and Zobel family, is made of weathered steel or corten steel which is a special kind of steel. Water and light from the portal become a single stream of light traversing the courtyard towards the edge of the Plaza Fountain beneath the grand archway of Ayala’s headquarters, Tower One, and Exchange Plaza.

The McMicking Memorial at Ayala Triangle Garden

The McMicking Portal at night lights up the entire park for everyone to see. /IMAGE Ayala Land

According to the architect’s design brief, “The portal and water represent the union of Col. and Mrs. McMicking, a partnership that brought together the ingredients of visionary resolve.” After the Second World Ward, Col. McMicking’s 25-year plan for the Makati Central Business District transformed, he was a noted planner, visionary, and innovator. Mrs. McMicking, on the other hand, was a quiet leader known for her corporate philanthropy and civic engagement.

The McMicking also founded the Filipinas Foundation in 1961, which is known as the Ayala Foundation, the first corporate foundation in the Philippines.