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Philippine Architecture

The document discusses the history and development of architecture in the Philippines. It begins by defining architecture and listing common building materials like wood, stone, concrete, and steel. It then outlines the major influences on Philippine architecture, including indigenous styles as well as those of Spanish, American, and modern colonizers. Specific architects like Juan Nakpil, Pablo Antonio, and Leandro Locsin are profiled for their contributions in pioneering modern Philippine architecture and expressing Filipino cultural elements. Examples of notable works by each are also provided.

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434 views

Philippine Architecture

The document discusses the history and development of architecture in the Philippines. It begins by defining architecture and listing common building materials like wood, stone, concrete, and steel. It then outlines the major influences on Philippine architecture, including indigenous styles as well as those of Spanish, American, and modern colonizers. Specific architects like Juan Nakpil, Pablo Antonio, and Leandro Locsin are profiled for their contributions in pioneering modern Philippine architecture and expressing Filipino cultural elements. Examples of notable works by each are also provided.

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jae e
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© © All Rights Reserved
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ARCHITECTURE

Architecture - is essentially just a shelter from the elements.1


- The art or science of building.2
- A wider definition would include within this scope the design of any built
environment, structure or object, from town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture
to furniture and objects. It could also be defined as the manipulation of shapes, forms, space and
light to change our environment.3

MEDIUMS OF ARCHITECTURE
· Wood - Is the common building material today. Its advantages are its abundance, relative
durability and high tensile and compression strength. However, it is easily destroyed by moisture,
insects, and fire.
· Stone - is the material used in most of the great architecture of the world where permanence
is desired.
· Concrete - is a building material made of sand and gravel mixed with cement. Like stone, it
has high compressive strength. It doesn't easily crumble or break down when subjected to heavy
weight. It does not corrode and is fire resistant. For stronger structure, Ferro-concrete or
reinforced concrete is used. It is concrete reinforced with steel.
· Steel- it is still demand today. It is a tough alloy of iron in variable amounts. It is malleable
under proper conditions and greatly hardened by sudden cooling. It has tensile strength. The
used of structural steel makes it possible for the architect to build many of the present day
structures without worrying about the problem of space and the weight of the other materials. It
has also made possible the building of the high-rise structures which are very popular these days.
Plastic, Glass, Brick, Textiles, etc.4

DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE ARCHITECTURE

Filipino architecture does not have a strong foundation of identity in the present time. It
is because in our history the image of the culture in buildings changes through time and influenced
by the foreign colonization. The standard of styles we usually notice in the residences flourished
is mostly styles adapt from other countries. Clients rather choose style adapt from others rather
than our own culture because foreign styles shows more elegancy and richness.5
Most prominent historic structures in the archipelago are based on a mix of indigenous
Austronesian, American, and Spanish influences. During three hundred years of Spanish
colonialization, the Philippine architecture was dominated by the Spanish influences. The
Augustinian friars, along with other religious orders, built a large number of grand churches and
cathedrals all over the Philippine Islands. During this period the traditional Filipino Bahay na
bató (Filipino for "stone house") style for the large houses emerged. These were large houses
built of stone and wood combining Filipino, Spanish and Chinese style elements.

71 https://www.slideshare.net/alorino/art-appreciationchapter-12architecture
2
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/architecture
3
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Architecture/Introduction
4
https://www.archdaily.com/801545/16-materials-every-architect-needs-to-know-and-where-to-learn-about-
them
https://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_mediums_in_architecture
5
https://www.academia.edu/5123782/DEVELOPMENT_FOR_PHILIPPINE_ARCHITECTURE?auto=download
After the Philippines was ceded to the United States of America as a consequence of the
Spanish–American War in 1898, the architecture of the Philippines was dominated by American
aesthetics. In this period, the plan for the modern City of Manila was designed, with a large
number of neoclassical architecture and art deco buildings by famous American and Filipino
architects. During World War II, large portions of Intramuros and Manila were destroyed. In the
reconstruction period after the Second World War, many of the destroyed buildings were
rebuilt.

In the late 20th century, modern architecture with straight lines and functional aspects
was introduced, particularly in the Brutalist architecture that characterized government-built
structures done in the Marcos period. During this period many of the older structures fell into
decay. Early in the 21st century, a revival of the respect for the traditional Filipino elements in
the architecture returned.

For 2,000 years the mountainous province of Ifugao have been carefully cultivated with
terraced fields. These rice terraces illustrate the ability of human culture to adapt to new social
and climate pressures as well as to implement and develop new ideas and technologies. They
also epitomize a harmonic, sustainable relationship between humans and their environment. The
structures' original builders used stone and mud walls to carefully carve and construct terraces
that could hold flooded pond fields for the cultivation of rice. They also established a system to
water these plots by harvesting water from mountaintop forests. These engineering feats were
done by hand as was the farming itself.6

FILIPINO ARCHITECTS & THEIR WORKS7

Juan F. Nakpil - architect, teacher, and civic leader is a pioneer and innovator in Philippine
architecture. Nakpil's greatest contribution is his belief that there is such a thing as Philippine
Architecture, espousing architecture reflective of Philippine traditions and culture. In 1973, he
was named one of the National Artists for architecture, and tapped as the Dean of Filipino
Architects.
Pablo Sebero Antonio pioneered modern Philippine architecture. His basic design is
grounded on simplicity, no clutter. The lines are clean and smooth, and where there are curves,
these are made integral to the structure. Pablo Jr. Points out, “For our father, every line must
have a meaning, a purpose. For him, function comes first before elegance or form“.
Antonio’s major works include the following: Far Eastern University Administration and
Science buildings; Manila Polo Club; Ideal Theater; Lyric Theater; Galaxy Theater; Capitan Luis
Gonzaga Building; Boulevard-Alhambra (now Bel-Air) apartments; Ramon Roces Publications
Building (now Guzman Institute of Electronics).

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Architecture_of_the_Philippin
es.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/philippine-rice-terraces/
7
https://www.united-architects.org/about/national-artists/
http://noypicollections.blogspot.com/2011/06/juan-f-nakpil-first-national-artist-for.html
http://gwhs-stg02.i.gov.ph/~s2govnccaph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-
philippines/pablo-s-antonio/
Leandro V. Locsin - He believes that the true Philippine Architecture is “the product of two
great streams of culture, the oriental and the occidental… to produce a new object of profound
harmony.” Every Locsin Building is an original, and identifiable as a Locsin with themes of floating
volume, the duality of light and heavy, buoyant and massive running in his major works. From
1955 to 1994, Locsin has produced 75 residences and 88 buildings, including 11 churches and
chapels, 23 public buildings, 48 commercial buildings, six major hotels, and an airport terminal
building. Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of
Brunei
The Avenue Theater with 1,000 seating capacity
located in Rizal Avenue Manila (JUAN F NAKPIL)

Rotonda Bank Metro Manila (Juan F Nakpil)


Far Eastern University designed by Pablo Antonio in the late 1930s

Istana Nurul Iman (Leandro Locsin)

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