Streetlight Tagpuro: A Symbol of Hope in Tacloban

It’s been nearly 8 years since the tragedy that happened in Tacloban which took away millions of homes and thousands of lives. There have been many relief operations since then and throughout the more recent years, we have been able to watch Tacloban get back up on its feet. Amongst all the projects that were initiated to aid this cause of a full Tacloban recovery, one that stood out was the Streetlight Tagpuro designed by Alexander Eriksson Furunes in creative collaboration with Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr. of Leandro V. Locsin Partners, and Engineer Jago Boase.

Conceptualized with humanity in mind, Streetlight Tagpuro was not only meant to be an emergency services facility but also a study center and an orphanage so it had to be designed and built in a way that was gonna last because it did not only exist to provide the said services but also to be a symbol of light and hope for the future. Children would be growing up here. Families and communities would be getting their feet under them here so the building or compound they would make should invite inspiration and creativity.

Based on how it turned out and on how it’s been performing and growing throughout the years, it’s without a doubt that they achieved these goals. There was nothing too extravagant about its design. In a way, its simplicity was that highlighted the elegance of the structure. With cement walls accented with geometric wood slat panels and windows and a corrugated metal gable roof, the Streetlight Tagpuro definitely was an embodiment of Filipino style and living.

Considering the openness of the area, there is still a lot of room to grow so if you’re an enthusiast of the cause and the design of this facility, keep a close eye on this progress and direction. The way it openly flows and allows great circulation of air and of people can make it a great peg or inspiration for isolation facility designs during these pandemic times and with the genius behind the design, it would be a waste not to adapt parts of it, if not all of it, for dire purposes we are in need of now.

Photos courtesy of Alexander Eriksson Furunes and Zoe Watson