Asia's First-Ever Portal Is Opening in BGC

A mysterious, tarp-covered structure spotted along Bonifacio Global City (BGC) recently sparked plenty of speculation online. Netizens were quick to guess everything from a new public artwork to a high-tech installation—and they were right about one thing. It turns out BGC is about to host Asia’s very first Portal, a large-scale digital sculpture designed to connect people across cities and continents in real time.

Confirmed this week, the Manila Portal is set to open on January 21, officially putting the Philippines on the growing global map of Portal locations and marking the sixth installation worldwide.

Photos and videos of the concealed object began circulating on social media this month, with passersby noting its prominent placement. Soon after, it was confirmed that the structure was a Portal, part of the international public art project created by Portals Organization. According to the group’s press release, the Manila Portal will be unveiled at 5th Avenue in Bonifacio High Street, with an opening ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m.

Once live, the Portal will operate 24/7, allowing people in Manila to see—and be seen by—strangers in cities across Europe and North America through a continuous livestream.

In announcing the Manila opening, Portals Organization described BGC as a “dynamic cultural hub” with a strong public art scene and a forward-looking spirit. The district’s mix of residential neighborhoods, global companies, and walkable urban design, according to the group, made it a natural fit for the project’s vision of open, shared spaces.

If the concept sounds familiar, that’s because the Portal went viral in 2024 when a live video connection was established between New York City and Dublin. The towering circular screens acted as digital windows, encouraging spontaneous waves, smiles, conversations, and sometimes unexpected moments between people separated by thousands of miles.

The idea first launched in 2021, when the inaugural Portals connected Vilnius, Lithuania and Lublin, Poland. According to Portals Organization, the project quickly reached hundreds of millions of people online within its first few months, fueled by both curiosity and social media buzz.

The New York–Dublin Portal may have captured the internet’s attention, but it also drew criticism. Shortly after its launch in May 2024, the installation faced issues involving inappropriate behavior from a small number of users. According to reports from Cities Today, offensive gestures and disturbing imagery prompted temporary shutdowns, added security measures, and renewed debates about public digital spaces.

Jamie Cudden, Dublin City Council’s Smart City Manager, later reflected on the experience in an interview featured by Cities Today, admitting that the project “just went completely viral” and attracted attention far beyond what the team initially anticipated. Despite the backlash, he also emphasized that many interactions were positive and deeply human, from casual greetings to emotional exchanges between strangers.

By September 2024, the New York Portal closed permanently. According to Forbes, the creators clarified that the installation was always intended to be temporary and designed to move between cities. The Portal was later relocated to Philadelphia, where it now connects with Dublin, Vilnius, and Lublin, with fewer restrictions and improved moderation tools.