Modernism and Memory: Structures that Commemorate Philippine Nationhood

“Modern architecture participated in the nationalist discourse by being both a cultural artifact, that is, by being a product of nationalism, and a cultural device, that is, a means of propagating nationalism,” says architect and professor Edson Cabalfin in his 2006 Documomo Journal contribution, Modernizing the Native: The Vernacular and The Nation in Philippine Modern Architecture. “By being both an agent and a product of nationalism, architecture can be considered not merely as a finished product that we see and experience, but more importantly as an active component of the formation of our consciousness as national subjects.”

A separate 2017 study published by the same journal, Rising from the Ashes: post-war Philippines Architecture by architect Gerard Lico, revealed that the widespread dissemination of modernism in the Philippines “coincided with post-war reconstruction and the birth of the Filipino nation.” He furthered that it was through modern structures that the nation found a way to “divorce itself from the vestiges of colonization and create new-built environments that conveyed freedom from the colonial past.”

This Independence Day, revisit the stories of five structures that reveal some of our nation’s first architectural steps. We look at how, between recovering from the damages brought by war and the dawn of Philippine independence, these structures demonstrated how architecture can promote nationhood, identity, and Filipino ingenuity.

Church of the Holy Sacrifice, 1955

Located in Diliman, Quezon City, the Church of the Holy Sacrifice is home to many firsts. It is National Artist Leandro Locsin’s first major architectural commission and is known to be the first circular chapel in the country to have an altar in the center. Lico adds that it is also a result of the Philippines’ “first venture into thin-shell experimentation.”

Colonial and Post-Colonial Architecture, a study by Esthel Pangilinan, says that the church “also accelerated the beginning of modern architecture in the Philippines.” She explains that while the Spaniards introduced the use of stone, Americans gravitated towards reinforced concrete, steel, and glass. “These building materials had enabled architects such as Locsin, to design buildings and create modern architecture that embraces new innovations and forms.”

Pangilinan ends: “It can perhaps be with how Locsin uses this material to design and create forms of his architecture that makes it modern and the extent to which it can be considered a symbol of post-colonialism. The Church of the Holy Sacrifice redefines the use of the church for religion through its design, from its exterior and form, to its interior and floor plan that greatly contrasts with pre-Hispanic and colonial architecture.”

Old GSIS Building, 1957

The original 10,818 square-meter headquarters of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), completed in 1957 and located in Arroceros, Manila, was designed by Filipino architect Federico Ilustre who worked as a consulting architect for the Bureau of Public Works at the time.

According to Lico, the need for new government buildings was greatly felt in the 1950s, as old government structures “could no longer accommodate the state’s burgeoning bureaucracy and expanded services.” He narrates that “the building program of the new Republic grew beyond the capacity of the Division of Architecture of the Bureau of Public Works to handle, necessitating the revision of its policies in 1952 which allowed private practitioners to engage in government projects.”

Belonging to the first batch of these government structures “programmed for the New Republic,” the old GSIS building “demonstrated the shift from classical to modern.” The building boasts a commanding exterior with towering, fluted pillars that were stripped of traditional bases and capitals.

It is important to note that the building is presumed to be an Important Cultural Property under RA 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) pointed this out to the Supreme Court in 2010 when news surrounding a new Manila Hall of Justice set to be built in the structure’s place surfaced. 2017 reports said that the majority of the building was to be demolished, with its façade and rounded corner tower to be incorporated into the new structures. Construction was targeted to begin in 2019, and no further updates were recorded as of writing.

Rizal Theater (1963) 

National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil “introduced the use of folded plate as a structural shell in the 1960s,” reveals Lico. “The profusion of folded plate as a structural plate spurred the utilization of diamond-shaped supports on the exterior,” he continues, citing the now-demolished Rizal Theater in Makati as an example.

The Rizal Theater was initially planned to form part of a National Cultural Shrine in Luneta dedicated to Philippine icon Dr. Jose Rizal. R.A. 1427, dated June 14, 1956, stated that the shrine should consist of three structures: “a national theater, a national museum, and a national library to be erected preferably at a single site.” The act also mentioned that a sum of two million pesos was appropriated as a revolving fund “for the celebration of the First Centenary of the birth of Jose Rizal, including the payment of salaries of personnel, traveling expenses of the same, purchase of equipment, publication of the unexpurgated works of Jose Rizal and such work of others about him as are considered necessary in the proper understanding of the meaning of his life and labors.”

The completion of the Luneta shrine was scheduled for June 19, 1961, to commemorate Rizal’s birth centennial. Unfortunately, this plan did not push through and a rehashed design for the National Theater was built in Makati instead. The theater operated as a film and performance venue, with Bahay Nakpil regarding it as “the iconic setting for memories of the 1960s to 1980s.” The organization adds that it featured not only movies but also live performances seeking Nakpil’s care for acoustics in design.

SSS Building (1965) 

Another building by Juan Nakpil is the Social Security System (SSS) Building on East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Heritage documentation page Modernist Pilipinas gathers that “the design was a collaboration by the elder Nakpil, who was nearing the close of an illustrious career, with his architect sons Ariston and Francisco, and civil engineer Eulogio.” For this building, Nakpil also made use of the newly developed thin-shell concrete construction, signing it with a folded plate façade. Bahay Nakpil adds that aside from its façade and roofline, what makes the building remain a modern classic is its staircase, fully visible through the glass windows.

SSS initially held office in the old GSIS building as it was an offshoot of the sector, but its responsibilities and needs grew and demanded a bigger home. Records say that it was transferred to a new site in Intramuros, but the state’s progress was showing that existing structures were no longer equipped to meet demands. This led to the idea of a national capitol area to be planned in Quezon City, designed to play host to “several government agencies that boast of hard-edge modern architecture.” The SSS building was part of this monumental project, with the government tapping Nakpil given his standing as one of the most notable architects at the time.

The building was inaugurated in time for the SSS’ anniversary on September 7, 1965, and is said to be one of Quezon City’s first skyscrapers. Modernist Pilipinas says that the towers are “beautifully preserved,” with the building’s “curtain wall shielded from the tropical sun by an array of aluminum louvers.”

Quezon Memorial Monument (1978) 

The centerpiece among the structures of the planned national capitol area in Diliman, Quezon City is the 66-meter-high Art Deco Quezon Memorial Monument. The soaring structure was also designed by Federico Ilustre, and its construction began in 1950. The height of the monument represents the age of the late President Manuel L. Quezon when he died, honoring the first president of an internationally recognized independent Philippines. The remains of Quezon and his first lady Aurora Quezon are enshrined in the monument.

The design of the monument is also a nod to the nation, with three angels holding sampaguita (the national flower) wreaths sitting atop three pylons. Sculpted by Italian sculptor Francesco Monti, the winged figures are dressed in traditional wear, each representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. At present, the monument remains the centerpiece of Quezon Memorial Circle, the main park of Quezon City.

We end this special with a note from architect and professor Edson Cabalfin: “I believe that the discourse of national identity in architecture should shift from a question of origin to a question of practice. While the question of “where we came from” is important, we should not be completely oblivious to the dynamic practices of identity formation. The true origins of Filipino architecture are still debatable and may not be fully understood at this point. Instead, I propose that we refocus our understanding of how identity is practiced and how this knowledge of our identity formation can lead to more empowering and ennobling projects.” •

Information obtained from:

Cabalfin, E. (2006). Modernizing the native: The Vernacular and The Nation in Philippine Modern Architectures. Docomomo Journal, (57), 34–41. https://www.academia.edu/704910/Modernizing_the_Native_The_Vernacular_and_the_Nation_in_Philippine_Modern_Architectures

Lico, G. (2017). Rising from of the Ashes: post-war Philippines Architecture. Docomomo Journal, (57), 46–55. https://doi.org/10.52200/57.A.UP2JBXRH

Ogura, Nobuyuki & Yap, David Leonides & Tanoue, Kenichi. (2002). Modern Architecture in the Philippines and the Quest for Filipino Style. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering. 1. 233-238. 10.3130/jaabe.1.2_233.

Pangilinan, E. (2021) Colonial and Post-Colonial Architecture. https://interioreducators.co.uk/uploads/submitted-files/149.W_.CS_.2021.c_.pdf

R.A 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, lawphil.org

R.A. 1427, judiciary.gov.ph

Juan F. Nakpil, Artist and Filipino, bahaynakpil.org

SSS Building, Modernist Pilipinas