Tagaytay City Hall Earns Spot on World Architecture Festival 2025
Tagaytay City Hall, a seven-storey government facility located near the rim of the Taal Caldera, has been shortlisted in the Completed Buildings, Civic category at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025. The project stood out among more than 780 entries worldwide, with only 460 projects selected for the shortlist. This recognition highlights the project’s design clarity, engineering strength, and collaborative execution.
Covering a total area of 8,600 square meters, the new city hall consolidates Tagaytay’s public service offices into one facility. Devex Incorporated, a quadruple A contractor in the Philippines, served as the general contractor, executing the civil, structural, architectural, MEFPS, and HVAC works.
Constructing a major government facility in this location came with unusual challenges. Tagaytay’s elevated terrain, soft volcanic soil, and proximity to an active caldera introduced both seismic and geohazard risks. Devex adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to construction, applying reinforced foundations and climate-adaptive systems to ensure long-term performance and safety.
The building’s design was led by WTA Architecture and Design Studio, whose concept draws inspiration from Tagaytay’s landscape and public identity.
“The Tagaytay City Hall is a layered extrusion of public and administrative spaces, topped by a diamond-shaped form that marks the caldera’s edge. While nature begins in raw, unstructured form, architecture brings order—not to overpower, but to reflect and interpret it.”
Open civic terraces, tiered public parks, and a central core layout were planned to improve access, visibility, and engagement. The structure aims to operate not just as a government facility, but as a shared public space built around transparency and purpose.
Devex worked closely with design and trade partners throughout the construction timeline. Key contributors included:
- WTA Architecture and Design Studio – Design Architect
- Arlo Aluminum Co., Inc. – Façade Contractor
- B. Cabebe Enhanced Computing Solutions – Systems and Technology Partner
“Out of hundreds of entries, Tagaytay City Hall now stands among a global group of recognized government buildings. Regardless of the result, earning a place on the shortlist is already a meaningful milestone. This recognition reflects not just great design, but also the engineering execution behind it. For us at Devex, being part of a project that reaches this level is already a milestone worth celebrating.”
— Karvin Anapi, Project Manager, Devex Incorporated
While the WAF shortlisting honors architectural design, the recognition reflects the combined efforts that made the project possible. Devex takes pride in delivering the construction execution that supported the architect’s vision.
Author: Jayson Tagala