Laurean Residences, the latest flagship project of Ayala Land Premier (ALP), is set to redefine the Makati skyline. Soon rising 65 stories along Dela Rosa Street, this crown-inspired tower signals a new chapter for ALP—one where design, heritage, and hospitality intersect to shape a more inspired way of city living.

It is envisioned not just as a place to reside, but as a home that fosters meaning and a deeper connection to its surroundings. Located within the new Dela Rosa Gardens, the development benefits from Makati’s extensive network of elevated and underground walkways, seamlessly linking residents to cultural destinations, restaurants, and key lifestyle hubs.

Leading the creative direction for Laurean Residences is Joyce Wang, the globally acclaimed interior designer whose portfolio includes icons like The Berkeley in London, The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, and Mott 32 in Cebu. For Laurean Residences, Wang turned to three unexpected muses—chess, aviation, fashion—to shape the project’s design DNA.

“There was a founder of Ayala Land who once compared development to a game of chess. One move leads to a bigger strategy. I found that so interesting—so we extracted that as a design language,” Wang says.

Her exploration began with the discipline and geometry of the chessboard, expressed through order and intentional movement. This was paired with the spirit of aviation, a nod to the site’s history as an airfield and optimism of modern travel. The third layer came from fashion, specifically the sculptural silhouettes and refined craftsmanship of Manila’s designers, whose fluidity softened the sharper geometry of the other elements.

“The chessboard gives you order. Aviation gives you lift. Fashion brings in emotion. Together, they shape spaces that let you live as the best version of yourself,” she explains.

At the Laurean Residences show space in Ayala Triangle Gardens last October 2025, Manila Bulletin Property & Living had the opportunity to sit down with Wang for a private chat and delve deeper into her vision of continuing to push the boundaries of how residential spaces in Makati can feel, function, and inspire.

I would say it's more of an unconventional pairing of material or treatment of traditional materials rather than inventing a completely new material. Normally with aviation, space is a very hard space with metal cladding, rivets, and more. We wanted to bring the feeling of aviation into a space—this idea of a very grand aviation hangar—but without it being hard. So we brought in materials like plaster, upholstery, and riveting done in a rhythm that feels more considered. It's about communicating an idea with materials we’ve seen before but in a completely new context.

For chess, there's a very hard geometry to it. It's black and white. There is something very hard and harsh about it and so we wanted to bring softness to it. We deconstructed the pattern of a chessboard and created the arrival flooring into the lobby of Laurean Residences. We've used three different types of stones to create that woven sort of pattern. So in a way, the chessboard, because it's deconstructed, feels more like a woven mat.

It made my job much easier because there was this grand vision and very rich heritage. It’s something that they want to deliver every day.

I think that's where we want to up our game in terms of what we deliver—in terms of the juxtaposition of materials, our specifications, materials that have longevity—because it is a vision that is meant to last for many years.

When they say it's an urban sanctuary, it is an urban sanctuary. In the guest amenities, there are elements reflecting what the masterplanning is to what Makati has done; the interiors also reflect that rigor and bravery of a promise.

If we look at the amenities, it's actually unparalleled. I've looked at a lot of amenities in London, in New York—this translates to the same level.

Honestly, I think with the suite of amenities, you guys are the pioneers.

It's the pool lanai; it's not something that's ever existed in a condo. You've taken that from a traditional house to a condo and made it into this luxurious social space. It's going to completely change the way that you gather as generations of families. I think it will also make you better hosts. I can imagine it being really effortless.

For me, spaces are all about human relationships and creating these social opportunities, so I hope that becomes forefront in the minds of multigenerational families.

What is a legacy? It’s really having these moments together, right?

You know what, I don't think we have a house style, but I always tell the team there has to be the same rigor when it comes to every project.

And that is to say, we have to stay true to the story we're trying to tell with the client. If the story's about aviation, chessboard, and fashion as well as bringing softness, let that be the driver all the way down to the materials we choose and how we treat it. I think that rigor of decision-making has to be very clear.

There is a discipline when it comes to making decisions that follows a very clear set of rules.

I think we were very conscious that we did not want to over-design. With the architecture, we kept it very clean and simple. There are very simple moves like the aviation and the curve coming in with the radius and the folds, the cascading walls, the floors, the simple materials, swaths of material.

It feels like when the owner comes in, they can really make the space their own. They can hang their own art, they can have flowers that they like.

We've kept it quite neutral as well. I'd say the boldness and the colors come from the loose pieces, maybe it's a future bar counter, the armchairs in the dining room, or the rug. We don't want to be intimidated by the architecture. There's flexibility for whoever will live there.

My favorite is the pool lanai. To be honest, I'm still trying to understand what it is because I've never grown up with it, and when I meet Filipinos, they tell me, this is just part of the house. So when it rains, you can still be outside.

Of course, you have Western equivalents like being in a porch, but it's different because it's different materiality, proportion, kinds of activities you might hold in this space.

When you try to translate that specific relationship you have into a condo residential amenity, that's really fun. Because, for me, doing something I've never done before and trying to understand why it's important for someone, that’s the most valuable part.

I would say it is a piece of Zen. It's very spacious, you can breathe. It's really a sanctuary in the city, and they're not just preaching that—it’s really how it feels.

Even coming into Makati and seeing there's a lot going on, Laurean Residences is in that pocket of space that feels very green. It feels a little bit more secluded, even though you're right in the middle of it.

It’s also amazing that on the skywalk, you can come out, walk, and be connected.