Spanish heritage complex in the heart of Manila
By Augusto Villalon
Published on page C2 of the August 28, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
WHO
SAID CONSTRUCTING A NEW building beside an old one is not good design?
Many people believe that the new building must "conform" to the old one
by attempting to look alike or at least somewhat similar.
Philippine architects today still follow the outdated "conforming
architecture" concept, pairing old and new, designing new buildings
that mimic the old by grafting a detail or a feature that echoes a bit
of the old building in the new one.
Many times the borrowed heritage detail is force-fit into the new
structure, resulting in an uneasy, out-of-place architecture that
awkwardly attempts a blending of old and new.
The truth is that the new always pales in comparison with the old.
The original is always better. Imitation is seldom better than the
original. So why imitate? Why put the old ill at ease with the new?
In planning its new headquarters on San Luís Street in Manila,
Instituto Cervantes decided not to imitate the historic Casino Español
de Manila beside it. Instead what it built was a new, totally modern
building that relates wonderfully to its heritage neighbor.
The two buildings are totally at ease with each other.
Respected
Among the oldest private clubs in the country, the Casino Español is
a respected Manila institution. The club premises, designed in 1951 by
architect Jose Ma. Zaragoza, are done in the fluid
"Filipino-California-Spanish style," a hybrid architectural style
popular during the post-World War II years.
The venerable building, a low single-story structure whose arched
loggias spread around a shaded interior courtyard, is one of the last
surviving Manila structures from that forgotten era.<!–
D(["mb","
\n
The membership should be commended for retaining the original structure of their club and for resisting "modernization."
\n
Now comes the new Instituto Cervantes. Erected on Casino Español\nproperty, the new building located on the far side of the existing club\nquadrangle is architecture unmistakably of the 21st century, a\nstructure in total contrast with the Zaragoza building on the other\nside of the shared quadrangle.
\n
Contrasting with the arches of the Casino\'s loggia, the Instituto\npresents a two-story all-glass wall looking out to the quadrangle from\nbehind a covered open walk connecting classrooms on the ground floor\nand exposing the library above. Although no details in the new building\nmimic the old Zaragoza structure beside it, there is full architectural\nrespect between the two structures.
\n
Interiors
\n
The interiors of both buildings mirror the eras when they were\nbuilt. Beneath the low ceilings of the Casino everything is\nwell-burnished wood, polished red tile floors, and insets of azulejo\ntiles shipped from Spain.
\n
Javier Galván, architect and former director of the Instituto\nCervantes, takes the traditional Philippine bahay-na-bato as his\norganizing principle for his conceptual design of the new structure.
\n
The lobby evokes the traditional zaguan from a Spanish colonial\nhouse in the Philippines. Ground-floor walls are rendered in raw\nconcrete, reminiscent of the stone walls of old. A grand staircase\nrises to the upper floor, where wood makes an appearance on the floors\nand walls, much like traditional Philippine houses. Evoking capiz\nwindows in old houses, wooden grids frame the glass on doors and\nwindows.
\n
Finishes are definitely 21st century. So is the allocation of space and the handling of natural light.
\n
On the ground floor, gray ceramic floor tiles link walls rendered in\nraw concrete bathed in natural light from rooftop skylights that\ncontinue into the second-floor library, whose floor stops short of the\nperimeter wall to allow more natural light to filter into the enclosed\nclassrooms below.",1]
);
//–>
The membership should be commended for retaining the original structure of their club and for resisting "modernization."
Now comes the new Instituto Cervantes. Erected on Casino Español
property, the new building located on the far side of the existing club
quadrangle is architecture unmistakably of the 21st century, a
structure in total contrast with the Zaragoza building on the other
side of the shared quadrangle.
Contrasting with the arches of the Casino’s loggia, the Instituto
presents a two-story all-glass wall looking out to the quadrangle from
behind a covered open walk connecting classrooms on the ground floor
and exposing the library above. Although no details in the new building
mimic the old Zaragoza structure beside it, there is full architectural
respect between the two structures.
Interiors
The interiors of both buildings mirror the eras when they were
built. Beneath the low ceilings of the Casino everything is
well-burnished wood, polished red tile floors, and insets of azulejo
tiles shipped from Spain.
Javier Galván, architect and former director of the Instituto
Cervantes, takes the traditional Philippine bahay-na-bato as his
organizing principle for his conceptual design of the new structure.
The lobby evokes the traditional zaguan from a Spanish colonial
house in the Philippines. Ground-floor walls are rendered in raw
concrete, reminiscent of the stone walls of old. A grand staircase
rises to the upper floor, where wood makes an appearance on the floors
and walls, much like traditional Philippine houses. Evoking capiz
windows in old houses, wooden grids frame the glass on doors and
windows.
Finishes are definitely 21st century. So is the allocation of space and the handling of natural light.
On the ground floor, gray ceramic floor tiles link walls rendered in
raw concrete bathed in natural light from rooftop skylights that
continue into the second-floor library, whose floor stops short of the
perimeter wall to allow more natural light to filter into the enclosed
classrooms below.<!–
D(["mb","
\n
Light
\n
Light pierces all areas of the building, achieving luminosity and\ntransparency as well as the air circulation so central to tropical\narchitecture. The building captures Philippine lifestyle and satisfies\nlocal climatic conditions perfectly.
\n
Galván, who has devoted years studying Philippine architecture,\nsuccessfully updates historic and traditional references into 21st\ncentury architecture, an approach common in other countries but rarely\nseen in the Philippines.
\n
History and tradition coexist on San Luís Street where both\nbuildings stand in neighborly harmony. The low, horizontal lines of\nboth façades form a harmonious dialogue along the street with the\ntwo-story Instituto building accentuating rather than dwarfing the low\nolder building next to it.
\n
Most important, one does not dominate the other. Each building,\nconfident of its excellence, does not try to outshine the other. There\nis unity of vision on the street.
\n
Think of a May-December architectural arrangement in this fusion of\nold and new where each partner enters the relationship with strong\nperspectives rooted in different generations. In the relationship, one\nis not forced to "conform" to the other nor do the different\nperspectives clash.
\n
Despite an apparent disparity in form and style, the two partners\nbuild a lasting bond that allows each one to maintain his individuality\nas a shared identity is jointly built up.
\n
May-December harmony is the lesson to be learned from Instituto\nCervantes and the Casino Español who show Manila how to be good\nneighbors.
\n
Now, does it still hold that you cannot marry a new building with an older one?
\n
Heritage watch
\n
The new Citibank Savings branch shines on Quintin Paredes Street.\nIts sensitive, straightforward reuse of an old Binondo building\nconverted into a contemporary banking area signals the start of a\nheritage trend in a highly commercial inner-city neighborhood that\nusually has little regard for its rich pedigree. Bravo!",1]
);
//–>
Light
Light pierces all areas of the building, achieving luminosity and
transparency as well as the air circulation so central to tropical
architecture. The building captures Philippine lifestyle and satisfies
local climatic conditions perfectly.
Galván, who has devoted years studying Philippine architecture,
successfully updates historic and traditional references into 21st
century architecture, an approach common in other countries but rarely
seen in the Philippines.
History and tradition coexist on San Luís Street where both
buildings stand in neighborly harmony. The low, horizontal lines of
both façades form a harmonious dialogue along the street with the
two-story Instituto building accentuating rather than dwarfing the low
older building next to it.
Most important, one does not dominate the other. Each building,
confident of its excellence, does not try to outshine the other. There
is unity of vision on the street.
Think of a May-December architectural arrangement in this fusion of
old and new where each partner enters the relationship with strong
perspectives rooted in different generations. In the relationship, one
is not forced to "conform" to the other nor do the different
perspectives clash.
Despite an apparent disparity in form and style, the two partners
build a lasting bond that allows each one to maintain his individuality
as a shared identity is jointly built up.
May-December harmony is the lesson to be learned from Instituto
Cervantes and the Casino Español who show Manila how to be good
neighbors.
Now, does it still hold that you cannot marry a new building with an older one?
Heritage watch
The new Citibank Savings branch shines on Quintin Paredes Street.
Its sensitive, straightforward reuse of an old Binondo building
converted into a contemporary banking area signals the start of a
heritage trend in a highly commercial inner-city neighborhood that
usually has little regard for its rich pedigree. Bravo!<!–
D(["mb","
\n
E-mail the author at pride.place@gmail.com
2 Responses to “Spanish heritage complex in the heart of Manila”
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October 19th, 2006 at 5:06 am
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