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Friday, 1 April 2011

Coconut Palace





The Coconut Palace is a palace in Manila, Philippines, commissioned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos for Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1981. However, he declined the offer, saying that it was an ostentatious option. The Palace’s architect Francisco Manosa, however debunks this myth, saying that the Coconut Palace – a showpiece on the versatility of the coconut and its viability as an export – was planned long before the Pope even decided to visit the country.
The Coconut Palace is made of several Philippine hardwood, coconut shells, and a specially engineered coconut lumber apparently known as Imelda Madera. Each of the suites on the second floor is named after a specific region of the Philippines and displays some of the handicrafts these regions produce. The palace is located on Eduardo A. Makabenta, Sr. Street at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex between the Folk Arts Theatre and the Sofitel Philippine Plaza. The palace is shaped like an octagon (the shape given a coconut before being served), the roof is shaped like a traditional Filipino salakot or hat. Some of its highlights are the 101 coconut shell chandelier, and the dining table made of 40,000 tiny pieces of inlaid coconut shells. Highlighted as one of the CCP’s most striking structures for its architecture and interiors, the palace celebrates the coconut as the ultimate “Tree of Life”. From the coconut’s roots to its trunk, bark, fruit, flower and shell, the palace’s design, form and ornamentation echo these elements.
It is now another favorite venue for weddings and it’s close proximity to the 5-star Sofitel Philippine Plaza just adds to its advantage.
Reviews of the Coconut Palace:
“There are plenty of venues sprouting up around Metro Manila these days that there are so many choices. We wanted an exclusive venue, I wouldn’t like running into another bride on my day nor competing for space with other guests in the lobby. Coconut palace fitted our bill as it is quite near Intramuros and parking is not going to be a problem for guests. Plus it wouldn’t hurt that there’s plenty of space for my number of guests. There is a receiving area, cocktails area inside the house, dinner was served at the poolside. And a spectacular view of the sunset. It was breezy that night and it didn’t felt that we were outside in the middle of summer in Manila. No swarms of mosquitoes like I feared. And Manila Bay was not smelly. Comfort room inside the house was clean. Didn’t get to see the loos outside. We supplied liquid hand soap, citronella candles, facial tissues and loo rolls (all unused items were returned to us). ” — Al & Ana
“- Mabel was so nice, ok kausap
- Venue’s perfect for a Chistian wedding; it’s a serenely beautiful
place
- clean bathrooms
- wasn’t humid for an april wedding (right after holy week)” — Jon & Peejay
“There are a lot of beautiful venues for wedding but nothing beats Coconut Palace when it comes to sunset! We just love it! The rental cost is also very reasonable compared to other venues. We also didn’t have a hard time talking to Chiq as she’s been very accommodating. We also appreciate their honesty when they called us after the wedding, telling us that we’ve overpaid, when in fact we went beyond our target headcount.
If you love sunset, and if you’re looking for a place that is solemn, intimate, and yet lovely … we would definitely recommend Coconut Palace.” –Milo & Toni
“Thanks for the good weather. The palace was really astounding, glimmering with colorful flowers and twinkling lights. At around 5pm, the sun was up but was about ready set, so we waited a little while. Our guests enjoyed exploring the palace & the view of the beautiful sunset taking pictures everywhere. Haha! The wind was so strong it blew most of the luminaries’ candles. And make sure that your luminaries are heavy enough so it won’t tilt, because some of mine did, heavy na bumaliktad pa rin. Still I love the view of the palace at night. All of us enjoyed it.” — Ariel & Erra

CONTACT INFORMATION
Coconut Palace
Address: Roxas Boulevard, Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Manila
Phone : +63 2 831.1756; 832.1898
Email: cocopalace@yahoo.com

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