-In 1947 a corps of architects and engineers were tasked to study the

modern US and Latin American capitals and formulate a master plan

for Manila
-The 1950’s also witnessed Space Age aesthetics and Soft modernism, which
experimentedwith the sculptural plasticity of poured concrete to come up with
soft and sinuous organicforms with the use of thin shell technology. Examples
are:
SPACE AGE
- Space Architecture or also known as Googie Architecture.

- is the theory and practice of designing and building inhabited environments in outer
space.

-describes a futuristic, often flashy, building style that evolved in the United States
during the 1950s.

-In the 1950’s the height of buildings was limited to 30 meters by law. With the
amendment of Manila ordinance No. 4131, a high-rise fever redefined
Manila’s skyline:
THE POST-WAR PERIOD (1945-1950) LIBERATION
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE (UP Chapel)

Coconut Palace

DESIGNED BY FRANSICO MANOSA

The Coconut Palace also known as “Tahanang Pilipino” is the official workplace of the
Vice president of the Philippines. It is located at Pasay. The palace is made from
hardwood, coconut shells and a specially engineered coconut lumber also 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 shaped like an octagon (the shape given to a coconut before being served),
while the roof is shaped like a traditional Filipino salakot or hat.
-Federico Ilustre, consulting architect from the 1950’s to 1970’s,
worked on the building at the Elliptical Road in Q.C. The centerpiece
is the 65-meter high Art Deco Quezon Memorial Monument,
composed of 3 pylons topped by winged figures representing the 3
island groups.

UP INTERNATIONAL CENTER
-The post-war doctrine was “form follows function” professed by the
“3rd generation”architects, namely, Cesar Concio, Angel Nakpil,
Alfredo Luz, Otillo Arellano,Felipe Mendoza,Gabriel Formoso and
Carlos Arguelles.

-Soft Modernism:
Reflecting high-tech space-age ideas

• Flashing lights and neon signs

• Boomerang and palette shapes

• Starburst shapes

• Atom motifs

• Flying saucer shapes

• Sharp angles and trapezoid shapes

• Zig-zag roof-lines

-Space Age-
Victor Tiotuycos’s UP International Center and Jose Zaragoza’s UnionChurch
CHURCH OF THE RISEN LORD
During Post war, Philippine Architecture was dominated by the
American style. In this period the plan for the modern city of Manila
was designed with a large number of art deco buildings, by famous
American and Filipino architects. During the liberation of Manila by the
Americans in 1945 large portions of Intramuros and Manila were
destroyed. In the period after the Second World War many of the
destroyed buildings were rebuilt. At the end of the 20th century
modern architecture with straight lines and functional aspects was
introduced. 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.
- It describes material qualities and new approaches to design. The most obvious
associations with soft have been material characteristics—yielding readily to touch or
pressure; deficient in hardness; smooth; pliable, malleable, or plastic. And this is the
definition of "soft" that came to define some of the most exciting design motives of the
1960s and '70s. These new design approaches were skeptical of modernism; soft was
deemed to enable uniqueness, openness, and lawlessness.

Earlier years (Pre-construction of church)

In 1947, when the University of the Philippines was still in Padre Faura, Manila, a group
of Protestant students started a movement named Christian Youth Movement (CYM)
which aims to “make relevant Christian presence in the university campus”. They sought
help from the Philippine Federation of Christian Churches (PFCC), now the National
Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). During that time, establishment, and
recognition of any religious organization inside the campus was not allowed so they had
to base themselves outside the campus, at the Cosmopolitan Church on Taft Avenue.

Other Buildings during 1950’S

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

Designed by Angel Nakpil

The four-storey main building was built in June 1954 and inaugurated on December 30,
1955 by President Ramon Magsaysay. It was designed by the late Angel E. Nakpil as
one of the modern and first earthquake-proof buildings in the Philippines, and
constructed by Engr. Alberto T. Abaya.

The NPC building is a popular forum for press conferences held by other organizations.

Googie Features
-The 1950’s and 60’s staple architectural element were the brise-
soleil, glass walls, piercedscreens, and thin concrete shells.
-In 1946, the independent Philippines expressed its identity by
implementing Modernism through the utilization of reinforced concrete,
steel and glass, the predominance of cubicforms, geometric shapes
and Cartesian grids, and the absense of applied decoration.

UNION CHURCH OF MANILA

-in Makati.
-designed by Architect Jose Maria Velez Zaragoza
The Union Church of Manila was founded in 1914 by a group of Presbyterian,
Methodist and Disciples of Christ missionaries who agreed that a united
ministry to the American population in the country transcended
denominational concerns. The church struggled to survive during World War I,
the Great Depression, World War II and the war for the liberation of Manila.
After the United States recognized Filipino independence in 1946,
membership grew quickly carrying on dozens of ministries and outreaches. It
still advertises itself as an "international evangelical, English-speaking
church,”
designed by Victor Tiotuyco
Architectural structure
The Church of the Risen Lord was designed to have an exterior shape similar to a
parabola. This kind of architectural design symbolizes the belief that there are
imperfections outside the Christian world and all of our aspirations to be perfect are
useless. A characteristic of a parabola is that it has no distinctive peak just like of a
triangle and it has no one slope. As we go up the parabola, before we get to the highest
peak, we can observe that we eventually go down.

Also, entering in the church represents the desire to partake the God’s Bread of Life,
which symbolizes God’s spiritual being. As we continue to go to the chancel (similar to
the altar of the Catholics but has no visual representations of holy beings) – the
salvation despite the imperfections in the real world, we can observe that the width of
the church is narrowing and this represents the one true path/direction towards the
chancel (the salvation).

In addition, the overall architecture of the Church provides a light, airy feeling due to the
louvres; the large window panels also provides a natural lighting to scatter around the
Church. There is also a balcony where the music ministry is situated during service.

The Church has a basilica design and features a concrete shell roof, this time curved
like a piece of folded paper. As you enter the church you would first notice the big cross
at the center of the altar with no human image, a partly explanation for this is the
Protestant belief that Jesus' physical body was glorified and resurrected and no longer
resides on the earth therefore the lack of Jesus' physical images. The place provides a
solemn and serene atmosphere to worship and provides for its congregation. On the
benches are several copies of the Bible, notebooks and pens. The Church is also a
popular venue for weddings.

-Angel Nakpil’s 12-storey Picache Building, considered as the 1st

skyscraper in thePhils.
In the 50’s, buildings in Manila are just permitted to get as high as 30 meters or 10
storeys, owing to the fact that Manila is very prone to liquefaction during earthquakes
and the water pressure of the water pipes back then can’t reach higher than that.
Pumps are not yet that available commercially. But by the next decade this restriction
was lifted, and one of the very first buildings to go beyond 30 meters is this building, the
Picache Building by Angel Nakpil.
THIN CONCRETE SHELL

The majority of the thin concrete shell structures were constructed by pouring wet
concrete onto a rigid wooden formwork, often assembled from straight elements. This
construction process required many skilled craftsmen.

Church of the Holy Sacrifice, and Phil Atomic Research Center

SPACE ARCHITECTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Soft modernism
-Cesar Concio’s Insular Life Building, the 1st office building to surpass
the old 30-meterheight restriction.
The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice is the landmark Catholic chapel in the University of the
Philippines Diliman. Known for its architectural design, the church is recognized as a
National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute
and the National Museum respectively. Five National artists collaborated on the project.
The building was designed by the late National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Locsin.
Alfredo Juinio served as the structural engineer for the project. Around the chapel are
fifteen large murals painted by Vicente Manansala depicting the Stations of the Cross.
The marble altar and the large wooden cross above it were sculpted by Napoleon
Abueva. The mosaic floor mural called the “River of Life” was designed by Arturo Luz.

- The First structure with a thin-shell concrete dome architecture.

- The Chapel is basically open , there are no doors.

- Slanted columns

- The chapel is circular, and the altar is right in the center of the circle.

THE INSULAR LIFE BUILDING

Previously, it held its corporate offices at the Insular Life Building in Makati City. That
building was built in 1962 and was the first to surpass the 30 meter height restriction in
the Philippines. It has gently curving façade entirely covered by narrow vertical
aluminium projections that were set close together within square modules to conceal the
curtain wall behind it. Originally designed by Cesar Concio, the building was
controversially redeveloped in 2005 with a design by the Japanese firm, Takenobu
Mohri Architects and Associates.