Part III – MODERN PERIOD
I. ARCHITECTURE
Chapter XX
Destruction and Reconstruction, Government Buildings.
Destruction almost always is a direct result of war. When war left Manila, the city was
almost reduced to ashes. After the liberation in February, 1945, Manila was like Athens
after the Persian War; and like Athens, Manila also rose again. At first, only makeshift
structures sprang up over the debris. But after a period, when war damage claims
materialized, constructions immediately started. This was about 1950. Architects long
without activity, dusted off their drafting tables in anticipation of a building boom. A
number these architects had, during the period of dormancy, been able to travel abroad.
They were able to refresh themselves with the works of the big moderns like Niemeyer,
Le Corbusier, Wright, Aalto, Saarinen, Van der Rohe and others. Those who could not
afford travel made their indirect contact through the pages of available architecture:
magazines and slides. Thus, all were eager to participate in the reconstruction and
construction off new buildings.
The first to receive war damage bounties was the government. Through the
Bureau of Public Works and the Division of Architecture, work plans were drafted.
Demolition of unusable parts of surviving structures was carried out. In fact, in 1946, the
sight and sound of the huge ball-hammer smashing sections of damaged concrete walls
of the Congress Building day and night was an attraction to passers-by. This building
was reconstructed faithfully in accordance with its original design. Likewise, the Finance
and Agriculture buildings were fully restored; so with the University of the Philippines
building on Padre Faura street and the Post Office Building on Plaza Lawton. Buildings
other than gov-
110
, ernment-owned ones in Manila and other places also underwent reconstruction.
The need for more government buildings was greatly felt a few years after the
Philippines acquired its Independence in 1946. The old ones were not enough to cope
up with the new Republic’s progress and expanded services. Thus, the Division of
Architecture, confronted with an enormous building program than its personnel could
handle, revised its policies in 1952. Originally, only government architects designed
public edifices; but this time, after the revision, even private practitioners were allowed
to participate in the preparation of the designs. This new policy, as logically expected,
resulted in more variety in designs and also in newer forms.
Hence, designs of the proposed University of the Philippines buildings in
Diliman, Quezon City, were entrusted to Juan Nakpil and Cesar Concio. These two able
architects were hired to design specifically the Administration, Library, College of Liberal
Arts and Engineering buildings even before the new policy was fully implemented.
In December 1948, all of the Padre Faura units of the University of the
Philippines moved enmasse to the new campus in Diliman. They occupied the
temporary buildings vacated by the U.S. Army, including the two pre-war concrete
buildings, the College of Law and College of Education buildings.
The new University site is a little over fifteen kilometers northeast of Manila; it
is adjacent to the Balara Filtration compound of the NAWASA. The total area of the site
is 494.5 hectares, far more extensive than any University campus in the Orient. The ols
Arellano plan took into account the natural bowl and grouped the academic buildings
around this depression.
When the AFWESPAC (Armed Forces of the Western Pacific) occupied the
site, temporary quonsets were built all over the area for military use. Many of these
shack-like structures, made of Oregon Pine, Sawali Pampango and ironsheets are still
standing and in use. The army engineers divided the grounds into areas such as for
operational, recreational and other functions, and erected corresponding types off
quonsets. The huge quonsets predominated the north side of the bowl. One of the
quonsets, until recently, had been used as a theatre with a capacity of almost four
thousand. The other became the gymnasium, still used. A block northeast of the
gymnasium is the Gregory Terrace. This
111
I. ARCHITECTURE
Chapter XX
Destruction and Reconstruction, Government Buildings.
Destruction almost always is a direct result of war. When war left Manila, the city was
almost reduced to ashes. After the liberation in February, 1945, Manila was like Athens
after the Persian War; and like Athens, Manila also rose again. At first, only makeshift
structures sprang up over the debris. But after a period, when war damage claims
materialized, constructions immediately started. This was about 1950. Architects long
without activity, dusted off their drafting tables in anticipation of a building boom. A
number these architects had, during the period of dormancy, been able to travel abroad.
They were able to refresh themselves with the works of the big moderns like Niemeyer,
Le Corbusier, Wright, Aalto, Saarinen, Van der Rohe and others. Those who could not
afford travel made their indirect contact through the pages of available architecture:
magazines and slides. Thus, all were eager to participate in the reconstruction and
construction off new buildings.
The first to receive war damage bounties was the government. Through the
Bureau of Public Works and the Division of Architecture, work plans were drafted.
Demolition of unusable parts of surviving structures was carried out. In fact, in 1946, the
sight and sound of the huge ball-hammer smashing sections of damaged concrete walls
of the Congress Building day and night was an attraction to passers-by. This building
was reconstructed faithfully in accordance with its original design. Likewise, the Finance
and Agriculture buildings were fully restored; so with the University of the Philippines
building on Padre Faura street and the Post Office Building on Plaza Lawton. Buildings
other than gov-
110
, ernment-owned ones in Manila and other places also underwent reconstruction.
The need for more government buildings was greatly felt a few years after the
Philippines acquired its Independence in 1946. The old ones were not enough to cope
up with the new Republic’s progress and expanded services. Thus, the Division of
Architecture, confronted with an enormous building program than its personnel could
handle, revised its policies in 1952. Originally, only government architects designed
public edifices; but this time, after the revision, even private practitioners were allowed
to participate in the preparation of the designs. This new policy, as logically expected,
resulted in more variety in designs and also in newer forms.
Hence, designs of the proposed University of the Philippines buildings in
Diliman, Quezon City, were entrusted to Juan Nakpil and Cesar Concio. These two able
architects were hired to design specifically the Administration, Library, College of Liberal
Arts and Engineering buildings even before the new policy was fully implemented.
In December 1948, all of the Padre Faura units of the University of the
Philippines moved enmasse to the new campus in Diliman. They occupied the
temporary buildings vacated by the U.S. Army, including the two pre-war concrete
buildings, the College of Law and College of Education buildings.
The new University site is a little over fifteen kilometers northeast of Manila; it
is adjacent to the Balara Filtration compound of the NAWASA. The total area of the site
is 494.5 hectares, far more extensive than any University campus in the Orient. The ols
Arellano plan took into account the natural bowl and grouped the academic buildings
around this depression.
When the AFWESPAC (Armed Forces of the Western Pacific) occupied the
site, temporary quonsets were built all over the area for military use. Many of these
shack-like structures, made of Oregon Pine, Sawali Pampango and ironsheets are still
standing and in use. The army engineers divided the grounds into areas such as for
operational, recreational and other functions, and erected corresponding types off
quonsets. The huge quonsets predominated the north side of the bowl. One of the
quonsets, until recently, had been used as a theatre with a capacity of almost four
thousand. The other became the gymnasium, still used. A block northeast of the
gymnasium is the Gregory Terrace. This
111
