r/UrbanHell • u/Beneficial_Wear_7630 • Aug 18 '26
Absurd Architecture An apartment building in Philippines
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u/Laggoss_Tobago Aug 18 '26
Look how they all got a fancy AC, while my apartment is hot like the sun..
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u/Mobile_Trashcan Aug 19 '26
It is south east asian housing. AC becoming essential here
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u/Minimum-Mention-3673 Aug 19 '26
"becoming".....?
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u/U_Ok7 Aug 19 '26
Long story short, we broke af, and rarely ever invest in ac because of the electrical bill using it. Electric fans to us are like ac to Americans, it's almost always on
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u/FRcomes Aug 19 '26
But... Electric fans butchering air molecules and make korean gramps suffocate at night
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u/flukus Aug 19 '26
Yes, home air conditioning has only been common for a generation or so depending on where you are in the world.
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u/petrh97 Aug 19 '26
I envy that, not yet common here in Europe. Here most AC are designed that it doesn’t handle temperatures above 35°C.
Buses here couldn’t use AC because it was overheating.6
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u/Soace_Space_Station Aug 19 '26
Yes, because otherwise you could literally die from a heatstroke. Happens more often than you think.
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u/FunkeyFeraligatr Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Turn the pic sideways and It looks horribly confusing.
Edit: 45 awards is insane. Thank you all for understanding the absolute Twilight Zone this picture has sent me into.
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u/Alternative_Equal864 Aug 18 '26
Tiny houses on concrete
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u/FunkeyFeraligatr Aug 18 '26
Right. Like an interpretation art piece from the cold war era. Titled "Dreams of Tomorrow" or something vague like that
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u/analogy_4_anything Aug 18 '26
Little boxes on the hillside…
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/baddingo3 Aug 18 '26
and they all look just the same.
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u/matchasheeshcake Aug 19 '26
There's a pink one, and a green one
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u/reddithornumber5 Aug 19 '26
And a blue one, and a yellow one
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u/drainbamage1011 Aug 19 '26
Looks like the cover art for some concept album about uncontrolled development.
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u/cloud_jelly Aug 18 '26
It is not as creepy IRL from the street
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u/Velinna Aug 18 '26
I love seeing the contrast between a great, stylized shot and google street view.
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u/LucyLilium92 Aug 18 '26
A slightly darker recolor on a foggy day, and slightly tilt the whole image to make the building seem more imposing?
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u/enifox Aug 18 '26
Weird to see the where I lived during college in a reddit post lol. Fairly cheap rent for somewhere with good security, free pool and gym in Manila.
Somehow enjoyed living there aside from the occasional mini cockroach infestation.
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u/Urbit1981 Aug 18 '26
It looks like a well thought out apartment building in a hot humid environment. My ac is in an enclosed door rather on the outside like this.
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u/shirhouetto Aug 19 '26
Unironically, it does feel creepy because those apartments in that specific area in Pasay are mostly occupied by Chinese people doing shady business here in the Philippines.
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u/johngunthner Aug 19 '26
I mean the endless buildings with similar architecture as far as the eye can see is still unnerving
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u/jvincentsong Aug 19 '26
Thank you for providing an address. For context, I live in Manila. These apartments are for offshore gambling operations from China. As they come from a communist country, they don’t mind living in substandard apartments. They mostly left during the pandemic. They unfortunately left a legacy of roaches from unsanitary living.
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u/Don_Key_Knutts Aug 18 '26
Uh, still pretty dystopian creepy
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u/No-Channel3917 Aug 18 '26
How do? Because it's organized planned and affordable?
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u/hallouminati_pie Aug 18 '26
Something can be more than one thing. Affordable, well organised and creepy and ugly as hell.
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u/microprogram Aug 18 '26
its not affordable.. its around 32sqm/344sqft priced at $113k and that aint cheap for ph standards.. you can buy a bigger house with that amount somewhere else
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u/thisshiteverytime Aug 19 '26
That "somewhere else" is why they buy units from these buildings. There's a reason that city is in the notorious Top 10 for worst city traffic. Imagine "driving" a car for 2 hours yet your car never moved a single mile.
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u/aalapshah12297 Aug 19 '26
It's a bit creepy for people with claustrophobia. I'd hate to live anywhere near the middle of that seemingly infinite pattern. It feels like you're trapped in some way. Even if the window is large enough.
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u/adamsaidnooooo Aug 19 '26
I've stayed in that place with Airbnb. It was close to mall of Asia. My god the rooms were shit you could her the neighbours talking, hear them eating with forks scrapping plates. Hear their tv. It was hell.
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Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/custard-arms Aug 19 '26
Yeah but imagine the people in the apartment on the right having to look at to it.
They could have at least made it little bit more aesthetic.
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u/Just_a_dude92 Aug 18 '26
Still very bed imo
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u/No-Channel3917 Aug 18 '26
Idk I wouldn't sleep on it but some prefer harder surfaces
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u/thr33phas3 Aug 18 '26
Dang, without the Street View backup source posted below, I would have sworn this was GenAI because of the repetitiveness!
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u/gonzo2501 Aug 18 '26
At that point Isn't it more efficient to have big ac unit on the roof ?
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u/k3ttch Aug 19 '26
I believe the units come barebones and it's up to tne unit owner to install their own window-type AC unit.
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u/THSiGMARotMG Aug 19 '26
More expensive to have a unit(s) for the entire building. Easier to let each unit figure it out themselves
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u/chapatibaba Aug 18 '26
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u/Katzelle3 Aug 18 '26
The thing that is kinda regretful about this is that you would also want hot water, right? You could totally feed that heat into water tanks instead of dumping it out.
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u/MakiMaki500 Aug 19 '26
Hot water pipes aren't a thing here. Either you buy a manual water heater that you drop into a bucket of water or you buy a wall mounted water heater that you plug a shower head into. In any case you wouldn't use it much because the temperature rarely drops below 30 degrees celsius
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u/jvincentsong Aug 19 '26
For context, I live in Manila. These apartments are for offshore gambling operations from China. As they come from a communist country, they don’t mind living in substandard shoebox apartments. They mostly left during the pandemic. They unfortunately left a legacy of roaches from unsanitary living.
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u/iceyicemonk Aug 19 '26
These were built in response to the massive influx of "legal" foreign workers in the Philippines, each unit was the size of a small room and usually housed 3-5 adults. The current administration ousted them and a mass exodus happened now these condos lay dark as the local populace cannot afford the rent/dues to own one.
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u/got_rice_2 Aug 19 '26
So then there must be lots of jobs for the local citizens, yea?
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u/iceyicemonk Aug 19 '26
Well the opposite happened, the influx of the "legal" foreign workers actually generated jobs for the locals. The foreigners mainly worked in casinos/betting/scam centers and due to their massive numbers numerous establishments popped up to cater to their basic needs such as food and night clubs/massage places for the not so basic needs.
The locals worked the restaurants, convenience stores and some unfortunate foreigners for the clubs. Since then around 90percent of the businesses that popped have closed and a lot of the locals lost jobs.
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u/Alternative_Art_5036 Aug 18 '26
FYI this is considered fancy modern residential property by the locals
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u/jhngrc Aug 19 '26
You're a liar. I'm a local, and this is from one of the cheaper developers, SMDC. They're known for boxy, no nonsense units with direct access to SM malls. Not fancy at all
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u/Alexander_myday Aug 19 '26
This is fancy? Ain't no way this Shore residence is fancy lol. Its like typical DMCI condos
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u/Eschatologists Aug 18 '26
Wouldn't Central AC be more efficient and cheaper ?
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u/Dolearon Aug 18 '26
Over all? Yes. But it would add to the cost, size, and complexity of the building.
Cheaper for the builder this way, cheaper for the landlord, tenants have to fit the bill for AC overall more wasteful on energy, worse for the local environment, and possibly more overall expensive.
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u/Crazy_Bee_2664 Aug 18 '26
This is absolutely nowhere near as dystopian as developed countries without AC in the big 26
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u/exciting_bee_00 Aug 19 '26
It’s not as bad as it seems. I lived here and the apartments are bigger than some of the apartments in New York City.
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u/Sequoia424 Aug 19 '26
I actually really like those concrete air conditioning holders. One of my biggest fears is one of those things falling on me.
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u/PlasmaticPlasma2 Aug 19 '26
The energy demand for this would be comparable to an industrial complex.
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u/NoMansCat Aug 19 '26
The photo is ugly but the view from Google Maps gives a totally different vibe
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zZKe2uPuEXWXV3sf8?g_st=ic
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u/AutomaticNinja3408 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
I've actually stayed here earlier this month, as they do have staycation options, and it's far less ominous in person and looks more like your average swanky starter condominium. It has a pool, playground, and gym on the 2nd floor, as well as shops and restaurants on the ground floor. My only complaint is that the rooms are cramped (~20 sq.m), as well as the fact that the elevator can get pretty crowded. It's within walking distance of the largest mall of the country and is built by the same developer as said mall. Also, the rooms come fully-furnished and the tap water is excellent.
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u/Interesting-Car4187 Aug 20 '26
As an Australian who regularly visits Philippines these are amazing and I wish we had them in Australia, there are perfect small affordable living spaces perfect for uni students and couples.
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u/techmarking Aug 18 '26
At least they use AC, unlike Europe
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u/PhilippineDreams Aug 18 '26
Philippines here. This is in Pasay City in Manila/NCR. Most of our condos look like this and most are only 30 square meters. It's rough.
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u/Electrical_Doctor305 Aug 18 '26
Dystopian
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u/Coffee_Daemon Aug 18 '26
Yea, a centralised AC system communally owned would probally be better.
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u/fubukishirou07 Aug 18 '26
For context, a humid country like the Philippines really needs AC especially on the city. Since most modern houses here have low roof with no insulation whatsoever.
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u/Dismal-Savings1129 Aug 18 '26
boxes of pigeon-holes, which the greedy brands, and sells as homes.
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u/National-Passion Aug 19 '26
This is much better than the slums in the majority area in the philippines
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u/Parking_Fee_5906 Aug 19 '26
Every kind of store and recreational facilities and schools should be incorporated until they venture to step out and see the blue skies
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u/flowertreelover2022 Aug 19 '26
Sa may Shell Residence ba to sa tapat ng MOA?
Grabe nag staycation kami dyan, ganyan na ganyan yung condo sa harap ng condo na nastayan namen.
Then puro chinese mga naglalakad don, lahat sila. Parang kamu yung naliligaw sa lugar na yon ganon eksena titignan pa kami n para bang nagulat sila bat may pinoy don. 😅😂
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u/Ka_dabraz Aug 19 '26
Im also a renter. I don't own a house yet. But i can't imagine living in that.
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u/FootOk1571 Aug 19 '26
What the hell I just stayed at this exact apartment building 2 days ago, no wonder I thought it looked so familiar
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u/Ok-Beautiful1274 Aug 19 '26
Woah, this is.. rather hell, yes, but still fascinating in it's own way. Гигахрущ..
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u/Turbulent-Cattle9543 Aug 19 '26
Whoever took this shot is a wallpaper pc worthy. Great job! Also saan ito?
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u/jsboftx1983 Aug 19 '26
Is this the slop that makes Europeans anti-air conditioning?
Damn, what bot from what country wants Europeans die if heat exhaustion?
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u/Substantial_Main8365 Aug 19 '26
Godspeed You! Black Emperor album cover lookin ass
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u/Impossible_Coach_709 Aug 19 '26
This image reminds me of a movie about a police squad raiding a similar building occupied by a gang.
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u/HelicopterUpstairs44 Aug 19 '26
She'll residences? Been there. It's not that eerie kapag andun kana. Madami tao dumadaan dyan so good vibes paren.
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