History The 1896 Philippine Revolution paved the way to the country’s independence from Spain. However, it became a short-lived liberty when the Americans became the country’s new invaders. There was a
drastic change on the architectural design which was introduced by the Americans as they establish the civil government. A lot of structures were built to serve as government buildings from cities to municipalities. The design and style of the establishments were akin to Greek or Roman constructions. Famous American architects such as William Parsons and Edgar Bourne started the proto-modernist way of designing constructions and they were commonly unadorned facades together with large windows. Another prestigious master designer during that time was American architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham. He was the one responsible responsible for creating the master plans for for Manila and Baguio. His contributions to the local architecture together with Parsons were the Kahn system of concrete reinforcements and the introduction of hollow blocks, the use o f anti-termite hardwood and the mass fabrication of building types. American architecture influence in the Philippines can be classified in two types; the so -called first generation Filipino architects who studied architecture and engineering in the United States who w ere sponsored by the colonial masters and the t he Second generation architects who emerged in the late 1920s and 1930s. The first generation exemplifies combined Beaux Arts elements with a touch of modernism promoting the ideas of utility in architecture.
In 1902, Americans introduced the use of toilet via pail conservancy system, or cubeta in Manila. In 1908, the concept of a wall-planned neighbourhood called Sanitary Barrio was introduced and led to tsalet, a crossbreed of the tropical features of vernacular buildings with hygienic structural principles and modern materials. In 1992, The Bureau of Health endorsed several variations of tsalet. American architects Edgar K. Bourne and William E. Parsons, steered Philippines Architecture to the proto-modernist route. Their works were characterized by unembellished facades facades with large windows. Daniel H. Burnham, father of the City Beautiful Movement, was commissioned to design master plans for manila and Baguio. Burnham B urnham endorsed the appointment of Beaux Arts-trained William Parsons as Consulting Architect (1905-1914) whose contribution to local architecture include: - the Kahn system of concrete reinforcements and concrete hollow blocks; -the use of termite-resistive Philippine hardwood, and; -the concept for the mass fabrication of standard building types. In 1906, the construction of the Asylum for the Insane in San Lazaro instigated the use of reinforced concrete as the standard construction material for all government structures. Birth of “first generation” Filipino architects who were sponsored by colonial officials to study
architecture and engineering in the United States. Together with the maestros de obras like Arcadia Arellano and Tomas Arguelles, they combined Beaux Arts elements-aesthetic elements-aesthetic
proportions, optical corrections-with the influence of modernism and the concepts of utility and honesty of architecture.
The “second generation” architects, namely, Andres Luna de San Pedro, Fernando Ocampo,
Pablo Antonio, Juan F. Nakpil, emerged in the late 1920s and 1930s and introduced the Art Deco, characterized by exuberant exoticism and ornamentation, as evident in the following facades of buildings: ELPO Building, Bautista-Nakpil Pylon, Metropolitan Theatre, Santos House, and the Mapua House.
Beaux Arts In French, the term beaux arts means fine arts or beautiful arts. Based on ideas taught at the legendary École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the Beaux Arts style flourished between 1885 and 1920. Historical and eclectic design on a monumental scale, as taught at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris in the 19th century. The Beaux Arts style originated in the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. Many American architects studied at this legendary architectural school, where they learned about the aesthetic principles of classical design and brought them to the United States. The Beaux-Arts style heavily influenced the architecture of the United States in the period from 1880 to 1920. Non-French European architects of the period 1860 –1914 tended to gravitate toward their own national academic centers rather than fixating on Paris. In the United States, the Beaux Arts style led to planned neighborhoods with large, showy houses, wide boulevards, and vast parks. Due to the size and grandiosity of the buildings, the Beaux Arts style is most commonly used for public buildings like museums, railway stations, libraries, banks, courthouses, and government buildings. The popularity of the Beaux Arts style waned in the 1920's, and within 25 years the buildings were considered ostentatious. Later in the 20th century, postmodernists rediscovered an appreciation of the Beaux Arts ideals. Beaux Arts buildings have many of these features:
Massive and grandiose Constructed with stone Balustrades Balconies Columns Cornices Pilasters Triangular pediments Lavish decorations: swags, medallions, flowers, and shields Grand stairway Large arches Symmetrical façade
Art Deco Is an influential visual arts design style that first appeared in France after World War I and began flourishing internationally in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s before its popularity waned after World War II. It is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with Machine Age imagery and materials. The style is often characterized by rich colours, bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation. Deco emerged from the interwar period when rapid industrialisation was transforming culture. One of its major attributes is an embrace of technology. This distinguishes Deco from the organic motifs favoured by its predecessor Art Nouveau. Historian Bevis Hillier defined Art Deco as "an assertively modern style [that] ran to symmetry rather than asymmetry, and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear; it responded to the demands of the machine and of new material [and] the requirements of mass production". During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance and faith in social and technological progress.
American Colonial Architecture After the Spanish –American War in 1898, the Americans took control of the Philippines until after the World War II. During this period, the Americans constructed many Neoclassical buildings in Manila. In 1902 Judge William Howard Taft was appointed to head the Philippine Commission to evaluate the needs of the new territory. Taft, who later became the first civilian Governor-General of the Philippines, decided that Manila, the capital, should be a planned city. He hired as his architect and city planner Daniel Burnham, who had built Union Station and the post office in Washington, D.C.. In Manila, Mr. Burnham had in mind a long wide, tree-lined boulevard along the bay, beginning at a park area dominated by a magnificent hotel. To design what would be the Manila Hotel Taft hired William E. Parsons, a New York architect, who envisioned an impressive, but comfortable hotel, along the lines of a grander California mission. The original design Daniel Burnham was an H-shaped plan that focused on well-ventilated rooms on two wings, providing grand vistas of the harbor, the Luneta Park, and Intramuros. The top floor was a large viewing deck that was used for various functions, including watching the United States Navy steam into the harbor. Many of these buildings were heavily damaged during the Battle of Manila in 1945. After the Second World War, many were rebuilt. Many buildings in Manila were later designed by the Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano. In 1911, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Manila Army and Navy Club at the shore of Manila Bay bordering the Luneta Park. The building consists of a grand entrance and has three stories that
housed the various function rooms and the hotel rooms. Together with its sister, the Elks Club, it was the center of social life for many Americans for decades. At T.M. Kalaw Street stands one of the remaining structures that survived the liberation of Manila in 1945, the Luneta Hotel, which was completed in 1918. According to Dean Joseph Fernandez of the University of Santo Tomas, the hotel was designed by the Spanish architect-engineer Salvador Farre. The structure is the only remaining example of the French Renaissance architecture with Filipino stylized Beaux-Arts architecture in the Philippines to date. The sculptures upon the façade of the theater are by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti, who lived in Manila from 1930 until his death in 1958, and worked closely with Juan M. Arellano. Highly stylized relief carving of Philippine plants executed by the artist Isabelo Tampingco decorate the lobby walls and interior surfaces of the building. In 1940 the Manila Jai Alai Building was constructed along Taft Avenue, designed by architect Welton Becket. It was built in the Philippine Art Deco style. In addition to hosting jai alai, it included the famous "Sky Lounge". Unfortunately, demolition began on July 15, 2000 on the orders of Mayor Lito Atienza. At the Far Eastern University (FEU) in Quiapo, Manila, five Art Deco structures on the campus were designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio. Three were built before World War II and two, after. Although FEU buildings were totally damaged during the war, the university was restored to its original Art Deco design immediately after. The university was given a UNESCO Asia Pacific-Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage in 2005 for the outstanding preservation of its Art Deco structures. Art Deco theaters in the Philippines
Art Deco theaters of Manila are theaters constructed in the 1930s to 1950s built in Art Deco style, or a similar branch of the style like Streamline Moderne, in the Philippines. The construction of these early theaters in the City of Manila provided the venue for early forms of entertainment like bodabil, a local adaptation of vaudeville, with most eventually converting to movie theaters with the growth and popularity of Philippine cinema in the metropolis. Several theaters built within the city of Manila were designed by prominent Philippine architects, including future National Artists Juan Nakpil and Pablo Antonio. Unfortunately, some of these theaters have since been closed and several of them demolished.
The Silliman Hall of Silliman University, found in Dumaguete City, is the oldest standing American structure in the Philippines.
The Central Philippine University Church in Iloilo City is a fine and unique example of Malay design and motif with American elements.
Emilio Aguinaldo's house in Kawit, Cavite, renovations designed by Aguinaldo himself, the irst President of the Philippines
Characteristics of American Colonial Architecture The American colonial period (1901-1945) and the subsequent contemporary period (1946-1993) brought about the most extensive array of forms and styles despite being the shortest era in Philippine architectural history. During the first civil government under William Howard Taft, Filipino architects flourished beginning with Architect Arcadio Arellano’s appointment as consultant. After World War II
and the declaration of Philippine independence in 1946, there was a building boom led by Americaneducated Filipino architects who were inspired by the International style. As the Americans’ central concern was bound by education, public health, and free e nterprise, it
reflected on the new structures that emerged such as government centers, parks, schools, hospitals, hotels, commercial office buildings, department stores, sports facilities, among others. The use of reinforced concrete made possible the construction of high-rise buildings and v isually stunning structures. In 1960, Manila’s building ordinance no. 4131 allowed buildings to reach up to 45 meters (or about 15 stories). By the 90’s, building height had increased to more than 40 stories.
The Spanish style remained, though mostly for ornamental purposes of the affluent. Filipino architects were largely influenced by Western culture, evident in their use o f Neo-Classic, Art Deco, International, and Romantic designs. With large houses becoming more expensive, other residential options arose like apartments, condominiums, tsalets, and bungalows. The lower classes had rowhouses, duplexes, multistory tenements, and prefabricated housing units.
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