Pasyal2004 Body

A N I N V I TAT I O N
Welcome to the University of the Philippines Diliman

campus! Pasyal: Walking Around U.P. Diliman will serve
as your guide as you walk around its 493-hectare ex-
panse. It will point out the University’s designed envi-
ronment, and public art, which encompass historical and
stylistic developments in Philippine visual art, architec-
ture, and landscaping over the past half-century.
This guide functions as a comprehensive introduction

to U.P. Diliman as a fulfillment of a “University Town”
concept originally organized around the principles of the
City Beautiful Movement.(1) Diliman’s academic scenog- City Beautiful Movement – an
raphy is in itself a visual testament of how subsequent aesthetic movement in American
urban planning and architecture
design norms and new aesthetic doctrine were accom- that started in the 1890s as an
modated within its vicinity that facilitated the depar- attempt by advocates to improve
their cities through beautification,
ture from the symmetry of its neoclassicist origin. which was envisioned to sweep
away social ills, as the beauty of
the city would inspire civic
As we explore the campus, we will discover how various loyalty and moral rectitude in the
historical and stylistic contexts have enriched its ter- impoverished; to bring American
cities up to cultural parity with
rain as an aesthetic laboratory of Philippine visual art their European competitors
and architecture mostly executed by its own faculty mem- through the use of the European
Beaux-Arts idiom; and create a
bers. In addition, key examples of Philippine visual art more inviting city center that
and architecture made by the various National Artists would bring the upper classes
back to work and spend money
are located on campus, and will be discussed as part of in the urban areas, but not to
the tour. A walk through U.P. Diliman, is a multi-sensory live there. Exemplified by the
White City at the 1893 Columbian
experience in many fields of interest, be it natural or World’s Exhibition, the City
artistic. In order to make your walking tour more con- Beautiful Movement emphasized
on classical architecture for
venient, we have divided this guide into zones: the public buildings built around
university mall, the academic oval, and the worship, parks and lawns, the most
successful application of which
recreational and service areas. was the 1901 Plan for
Washington, D.C.
This guidebook also features a definition box which ex- Aesthetics – the study of the
plains the concept behind difficult technical terms (in rules and principles governing
art, its making, its viewing, and
bold characters to distinguish from the body of the text). its siting within certain
Boxed sidebars are likewise placed strategically within theoretical and practisanal
contexts.
the text to engage the tourist to an informative side-
light of a major topic. For those who wish to detour
from the routes prescribed here or explore further the
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2 P A S Y A L
walking around u.p. diliman
other sites of interest within the campus, a folded map

is provided as an appendix. This map shows the name
and location of all structures built on campus.
Before proceeding with the tour, this guide introduces

the following key terms:
Designed Environment is the integra-

tion of architecture, landscaping, and
outdoor art that is specifically designed
according to various aesthetic and func-
tional notions, as decided by social in-
stitutions and agents.
Public Art refers to various two and

three-dimensional art forms that are
placed in public spaces, such as parks,
plazas, and walkways. This is based
both on the notion of decorating a
space, as well as forming a part of the
overall system of ideas by which a space
is demarcated for certain uses.
Urban Planning refers to the planning

or designing of relationships between
spaces, structures, and the total built
environment, including the design of
routes of transportation, communica-
tion, sewerage, and security.
ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS
The campus is easily accessible by taxis and public util-

ity jeepneys via two major thoroughfares: Common-
wealth Avenue (U.P.-SM North, U.P.-Pantranco, and U.P.-
Philcoa jeeps) to the West, and Katipunan Avenue (U.P.-
Katipunan, and U.P.-Balara jeeps) to the East. In addi-
tion, two jeepney routes serve the in-campus transport
needs of commuters, known as the Ikot and Toki Jeeps.
Unlimited access via private transportation is allowed
from 5AM to 10PM, and motorists may enjoy driving
Campus Map
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City
(see the larger folded map for details)
LAY OF THE LAND
According to The Land Use Plan of the University of the Philippines Diliman (1994),
the campus is divided into five main zones: public parks and greens; academic
spaces; residential spaces; recreational and services spaces; and science and
technology parks. Approaching from the main northeastern axis of Commonwealth
Avenue, just after the Citimall Shopping Center, one comes across the main en-
trance of University Avenue, which runs due east until it approaches the Academic
Oval, the core of the campus. On both sides of University Avenue is a mall-like open
space, which continues as park space and forested greens in the Academic Oval,
that forms the green heart of the campus. The Oval, as it is known, contains the
two most important structures of the University, the Main Administrative Building
(Quezon Hall) and the Main Library (Gonzales Hall). Around the Oval and the Uni-
versity Avenue mall stand the main academic units of the University as organized
into disciplinal complexes.
Forming the northeastern and southeastern quadrants of the campus are the
residential areas for faculty and staff, and dormitory centers for students. Ser-
vice facilities, which include a shopping center, two churches, Diliman’s barangay
hall, several community centers, the University Theater, the University sports
complex, the Film Institute, the Alumni Complex, the International House, the
University Hostel, and the Student Affairs Complex are located at strategic points
between the academic and residential areas accessible via the Ikot/Toki routes.
Finally, science and technology parks have been established on the southeastern
and northwestern quadrants of the campus. On the northwestern quadrant is also
located the last major stand of rain forest growth in the metropolis, the Arbore-
tum, which forms a vital “left lung” to the right lung of the University Avenue mall
and Oval greens.
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4 P A S Y A L
around the tree-shaded avenues, and often park their

vehicles within the campus to experience the lush green-
ery. Every Sunday, the Academic Oval, is closed to all
vehicular traffic, allowing pedestrians and joggers to
use throughout the day. A Table is provided at the end of
this guide to assist you in navigating the various stops
and attractions on campus using public utility jeepneys
that ply various routes within its expanse.
The University Mall
WELCOME
On the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and University
Avenue, a triangular pocket park and a sign greet the
visitor: Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, 1908. This is the be-
ginning of the University Mall area, a contiguous space
of shaded pedestrian paths, tree-lined roads, forested
parks, and open lawns that stretches almost 1.8 kilo-
meters long by 300 meters wide. This grand space is
the verdant core of U.P. Diliman, and is defined by the
axis of University Avenue and the Academic Oval. Only
two buildings occupy this area, Quezon Hall and Gonzales
Hall, located roughly center and east side, respectively.
This is the embodiment of the City Beautiful Movement’s
ideal of a ceremonial avenue and park space surround-
ing the main administrative and learning centers, one
that was implemented in the 1901 Plan for Washington,
D.C.(2) Like Washington, Diliman has an open mall that
has a west-to-east trajectory, in which the processional
is defined by a straight, broad avenue (instead of the
rectangular lagoon) that terminates in front of the Main
Administrative Building, and goes around the park to
complete a circuit.
GRAND ENTRANCE
Walking from the University Sign to the corner of Carlos

P. Garcia Avenue, one can notice the breadth of the Av-
enue, a full eight lanes wide, with a four-meter wide
island separating traffic. The island was added in 1956
to reduce vehicular accidents.(3) The pedestrian path-
way is noticeably broad, shaded by a combination of
royal palm trees and coconut trees. Royal palms were
often used to decorate promenades
and avenues during the Spanish
and American Colonial Periods, its
straight trunk and bunched leaves
giving an air of pomp and pag-
eantry. Coconut trees, however,
evince a more local ambience, and
are clustered in groups of three.
In addition, the flowering shrubs
that form rows lining the Avenue’s
gutters are of a special variety,
Mussanda Doña Aurora, bred in the
fifties especially for U.P.(4) Other
flowering plants are often planted
on both the island and pedestrian
paths. These have included or-
chids, irises, birds of paradise, and
sunflowers. Together, they form a
visage of rows of verdant foliage
sprinkled with floral colors, march-
ing off the entire 800-meter length
of University Avenue, ending just
in front of Quezon Hall.
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6 P A S Y A L
TALE OF THE TERRAIN
During the Spanish colonial period, the area where Diliman is located was part of the
vast Hacienda Tuazon that once covered most of present-day Quezon City. It was a
hilly, cogon-covered plateau that turned into thick forests (hence Diliman, from the
Tagalog word meaning “a dark place”) near Balara, surrounding a natural monsoonal
catch basin (the current Lagoon), which empties out into a creek that now marks the
U.P.-Philcoa boundary. Its highest point is the hilltop where the PAGASA Astronomical
Observatory now stands. Human habitation was sparse and limited on its southern
side in the sitio (now barangay) of Krus na Ligas, a stopover point on the trail
between Balara and Marikina. The revolutionary supremo Andres Bonifacio had passed
through here with his Katipuneros on August 1896 from their rally point at Balintawak
on their way to attack the Spanish Arsenal at San Juan del Monte.
On June 18, 1908, Act No. 1870 authorized the then-American Governor General of
the Philippines, James F. Smith, to establish the University of the Philippines to pro-
vide advanced instruction to Filipinos, ostensibly in preparation for their indepen-
dence.(6) The origins of U.P. can thus be traced to the Benevolent Assimilation doc-
trine held by the United States, which held that Filipinos were unprepared for inde-
pendence, and had to be tutored in the ways of governance and “civilization” through
active occupation and education.(6) It was through this doctrine that the American
system of universal, non-sectarian education was introduced to the Philippines, firstly
via the American Thomasite educators, and then through a system of local educa-
tional institutions founded and initially administered by Americans, of which UP was
envisioned as exemplar.
The Pre-war UP Campus in Manila before its destruction during the Pacific War.
Along with the city plan of Manila, Burnham had imagined the
university as epitomizing this ideal: large, neo-classical build-
ings built from contemporary materials like concrete were erected
amid open, park-like lawns, in which public statuary, sculptures,
and murals would represent ideal virtues and traits for users to
emulate. Realized by his successor William E. Parsons, the 10-
hectare U.P. campus at Manila saw the implementation of the
neo-classical idiom in architecture through the works of pio-
William E. Parsons neering Filipino architects such as Juan Arellano, Tomas Mapua,
and Antonio Toledo. In 1938, President Manuel Quezon requested
the now-retired Parsons to conceive a master plan for the devel-
opment of the new capital city to the northeast of Manila (now
Quezon City), which included a larger 493-hectare campus lot
for U.P. at Diliman.(6)
By the outbreak of World War II, only the College of Liberal Arts (Benitez Hall) and
Colleges of Law and Business Administration (Malcom Hall), were completed. Diliman
was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Army, who used it as an army camp from
1942-45. It was taken over by American forces in February 1945.
The transfer finally took place in January 12,1949, when classes and administrative
services began. Temporary military structures in the form of Quonset huts, a pre-
fabricated structure that has a semicircular roof curving downward to form walls
left by American servicemen, were used as classrooms and offices until a massive
building plan was implemented, utilizing claims from the War Damage Commission to
finance the construction of buildings forming the nucleus of the campus, starting
with the Main Library (Gonzales Hall) and Main Administration Building (Quezon Hall)
in 1950. This was followed by the Liberal Arts (Palma Hall) and Engineering Buildings
(Melchor Hall) in 1951.(6)
Malcolm Hall circa 1950
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8 P A S Y A L
Following the idea that the campus must be an integrated and self-contained com-
munity, a University Town so to speak, especially in its early years, when there were
hardly any other structures within the Diliman area, campus planning included the
zoning and building of dormitory and residential spaces for both students and fac-
ulty. The building of new men’s and women’s dormitories, such as the International
Center; Ipil, Ilang-Ilang, Kamia, Sanggumay, Narra, Molave, Yakal, Sampaguita, and
Kalayaan Halls (1965-1978) were done in clusters behind the primary academic zone,
while residential housing for faculty and staff, such as Areas 1-3 (1965-75); Villages
A-B (1970-80); Pook Amorsolo (1978-80); and the Hardin ng Aurora, Bougainvillea,
and Rosas complexes (1986-97) were done at the northeastern and southeastern
quadrants just behind the dormitories. A number of these houses are historically
significant for they once served as residences of some of the country’s National
Artists, including Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero, NVM Gonzales, Jose Maceda, and Jovita
Fuentes. It is also in the southeast quadrant that one finds the official residences of
the President and Chancellor, known as the Executive House (1958) and Balay ng
Chanselor (1994), respectively.
In 1962, U.P. President Carlos P. Romulo decided to rename the buildings of U.P.
Diliman after heroes and significant personalities of U.P. Previously, they were known
only by the unit that occupied them. Henceforth, the structures themselves would
have names. The Filipinization of Diliman’s streets started even earlier, in the early
fifties, under U.P. Presidents Bienvenido Gonzales and Vidal Tan, when they renamed
the streets initially gathered by the U.S. Army from American names into those of
Philippine heroes, presidents, and flowers and trees. This practice continues to the
present, with the inclusion of Filipino artists, writers, and scientists as possible
place-names.(6)
HOMAGE
At the corner of C.P. Garcia Avenue, a pair of monu-
mental sculptures greets the visitor on either side of
University Avenue. Titled Tribute to Higher Education,
it is the work of National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva, who
served as Dean of the U.P. College of Fine Arts (CFA)
from 1977-1985. One of the first public sculptures in
the campus, it was the result of a 1962 University Gate-
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way Competition sponsored by the President’s Commit-

Bas Relief – a sculptural design or
composition on a flat stone or tee on Landscaping.(3) Reminiscent of the ceremonial
wooden surface that projects less gateways into ancient cities like Rome, Tribute to Higher
than half its true depth from the
background. Education, finished in 1966, defines an open threshold
rather than a gated obstruction, which signifies the open-
International Style – coined by the
architectural historian Henry ness of the university to all people, irrespective of class,
Russell Hitchcock and architect Philip color, gender, or belief. Each is composed of two un-
Johnson to characterize the avant-
garde architecture that appeared evenly sized concrete piers finished in volcanic tufta
in Europe between 1920-1930. (adobe) that support a cantilevered concrete block with
Their criteria was that it was ar-
chitecture which worked outward bas reliefs molded on its surface. The reliefs represent
from its interior to its façade, re- figures in Philippine folklore (Malakas at Maganda) and
placing the axial symmetry by one
for logical planning, and was also history (Lapu-Lapu). These are combined with allegori-
noted for its elimination of all arbi- cal figures and symbols that represent various aspects
trary decoration. Its most distinct
characteristics are the use of plain of learning, such as science, engineering, and liberal
geometries for all building forms; arts.
and the use of modern materials
like concrete, glass and steel as
aesthetic forms in themselves,
other than their functionality.
PORTAL
After a few hundred meters, the visi-
tor will approach the official entrance
of the university. Called the University
Gateway, the concrete guardhouse and
two commuter sheds that comprise it
were also designed by Abueva. This
time, the formal functionalism of the
International Style is utilized to pro-
vide a dramatic counterpoint to the
long processional of University Avenue
without disrupting it. The roofs of the
three structures are all done in sharply
angled triangles, pointing at a 45-de-
gree angle forward. The commuter
sheds, in particular, are planted on dar-
ingly small piers, which are also angled,
and their ribbed roof supports are vis-
ible to the user, as if some giant alien
creature’s skeletons were reused to
make these sheds. Underneath, curvi-
linear concrete benches molded in back-
to-back seating also provide
a different, more organic
sculptural feeling, one whose
space is defined by a circu-
lar pavement. The guard-
house, on the other hand, is
diamond-shaped, completing
the Euclidian geometry of the
Gateway.(7)
Right after the Gateway and

past the corner of Emilio
Jacinto Street, a pair of
adobe sculptures embellishes
the open space. Flanking Uni-
versity Avenue are Captivity
and Contemplation, done by
Ildefonso Marcelo sometime
in the 1960s.(7) These figures
typify the synthesis of Mod-
ern Art and classical themes
common in Philippine art: the use of the male figure in
contorted poses, similar to Michelangelo’s Slaves, but
updated using cubist geometric forms. On the side of Modern – a mode of thinking that
Contemplation, there is a small ornamental pool, with a owes its origins to Enlightenment
philosophy, arguing for the
bathing female nude in concrete. This is another sculp- progress of humanity through in-
ture attributed to Marcelo, which contrasts with the pre- dividualist liberation, rationalism,
logic, and the equality and univer-
vious two works because of its dainty figurine, done in sality of the human condition; gen-
soft curves, while the adobe works are massive, mus- eral title given to the succession of
avant-garde styles in art and ar-
cular figures that are mostly rendered in sharp, angular chitecture that has dominated West-
planes. All the sculptural figures are less than two meters ern culture throughout the 20 th
Century.
high, and do not block one’s eye level view towards
Quezon Hall, or the surrounding lawns. Rather, Captiv- Classical – the codified style of
Greek and Roman Antique art and
ity and Contemplation serve as rotund markers that begin architecture; an art theory that
the transition from processional parkway to the central subscribes to a state of equilibrium
and harmony, one that is rationally
structure. (instead of intuitively) constructed.
In the Gateway can also be found the commemorative

plaque that remembers the end of the eight-day Diliman
Commune in February 1,1971, when the student barri-
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captivity walking around u.p. diliman
contemplation
cades that crossed this point of Uni-
versity Avenue were assaulted by troops
of the Constabulary Metropolitan Com-
mand, resulting in the death of student
Pastor Mesina Jr.(3)
At the crossing of University Avenue and

E. Jacinto Street lies a circular island
of ornamental plants twining into the
shapes and colors of the University
Seal. This practice was common in land-
scaping in the sixties, a resonance of
which is the famous Flower Clock at
Rizal Park. The Flower Seal forms the
final segment of the processional way,
leading the visitor’s eye towards
Quezon Hall. This view is best seen at
night, when the building is lit by floodlights, especially The concrete sculpture of
during moonrise (at certain times, the moon rises right a bathing nude is the vi-
sual focus of the ornamen-
through the colonnaded portico of Quezon Hall), and tal pool at the Gateway.
during Christmas Season, when the building is decorated
with thousands of lights, often culminating in a five-
pointed star lantern or parol.
Colonnade – a row of supporting

columns holding up a roof or
arches.
The student barricade

staged in front of
Quezon Hall in 1971
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14 P A S Y A L
LOCUS: PUBLIC ART

As an integral aspect of the urban plan-
ning and architectural design of the cam-
pus, public art reflects the values that
the institution wishes to impart to its us-
ers and visitors. However, notions of
beauty in art have seen tremendous
changes since the academic beaux-arts
style of National Artist Guillermo Tolentino,
as well as the romantic landscape and ru-
ral figures of Professor Fabian de la Rosa
and National Artist Fernando Amorsolo,
were first practiced in U.P. Manila during
the twenties and thirties. By the late for-
ties, Philippine Modern Art, under the ad-
vocacy of Victorio Edades (whose 1928
Columbian Club exhibition marked the en-
try of Modernism in Philippine Art) had
gained a firm foothold among collectors
and the public, and through the vehicle of
the Art Association of the Philippines, was
being translated into increasingly dis-
torted and abstracted forms. As a corol-
lary to Modern Architecture, Modern Art
emphasized the experience of alienation
and irony of the industrial-technological
age. It must be said, however, that in its
application, Philippine Modern Art often
utilizes the themes and iconography of
more traditional figurative art, albeit
transformed through sublimation and reduction. The sculptures of National Artist
Napoleon Abueva, Ildefonso Marcelo, Renato Rocha and the paintings of National
Artists Vicente Manansala and Jose Joya can be seen in this regard, often utiliz-
ing the human body as subject, but executed in simpler geometric planes, curves,
and cubes. In the work of Abdulmari Imao, traditional Muslim motifs serve as cues
for modern sculpture.
From the sixties through the eighties, a resurgence of figurative art found
expression in sculpture and painting. This can be attributed to the still-active
area of portraiture, history painting, and statuary, often depicting heroes,
martyrs, and important personalities of the university. The rise of nationalism
and student activism, symbolized by the transfer of Ramon Martinez’s Cry of
Balintawak to U.P. Diliman in 1968, may mark the threshold of this period. Already
a repository of numerous busts by Graciano Nepomuceno, Guillermo Tolentino,
and Anastacio Caedo, as well as portraits by Fernando Amorsolo, Anastacio Caedo,
and Ben Alano, Diliman received historical murals by Carlos Valino, the U.P. Artist’s
Circle, and Tam Austria; and busts by Froilan Madriñan, Jr. In addition, Napoleon
Abueva also made public figurative sculptures with either historical or allegorical
themes at this time.
The Oblation plaza and
fountain was designed by
Nathaniel Dueñas in 1974.
PROMENADE
A hundred meters away, forming the terminus of Uni-
versity Avenue, lies the Oblation Plaza. Designed by
Nathaniel Dueñas around the famous symbol of U.P., the
Plaza was finished in 1974, and was originally outfitted
with a dancing fountain and multi-colored lights.(3) Now
maintained as a dry garden with its shallow, amphithe-
ater-like steps finished in black gravel wash, it provides
the shift in scale of the University Mall from imperious
processional to intimate square, where people often
promenade to take their pictures with the statue in their
midst, especially during graduations.
As the symbol of U.P., The Oblation is often wrapped in

mystique. A representation of youth giving one’s self in
service to the nation (hence, Oblation, meaning an of-
fering of a gift or a sacrifice), the statue measures 4.85
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meters tall by 2.53 meters from left

fingertip to right fingertip. The origi-
nal statue, now a prized possession of
the University Archives, was molded
from concrete by Guillermo Tolentino
using his assistant Anastacio Caedo
(also a famous academic sculptor,
whose works are also in the University
Collection) as a model for its muscular
physique, and Caedo’s brother-in-law
Virgilio Raymundo for its proportion
and height. It was commissioned by U.P.
President Rafael Palma, and unveiled
to the public in 1935 at its original lo-
cation in U.P. Manila.(8) Surviving un-
scathed despite the razing of the Ma-
nila campus, it was transferred to
Diliman by a tumultuous motorcade on
February 12, 1949. In 1958, the three-
and-a-half meter tall concrete statue
was reproduced in bronze in Italy, un-
der the supervision of Tolentino, and
this is the version we now see at the
Oblation Plaza. The statue is a superb
example of the beaux-arts ideal of classical masculin-
ity, dignity, harmony, and the sublime. Hence, its geni-
talia are covered by a fig leaf, a rebuke against physical
Beaux-Arts – a movement in ar-
chitecture, interior design, and fine reality for the sake of academic prudence. The male
arts that emphasized and con- nude makes a mystical gesture, head thrown back, arms
formed to the rules of Classicism
(proportion, dignity, sobriety, bal- raised to the sides, palms up, and feet together, sym-
ance, harmony). Popular during the bolizing the Judeo-Christian ideal of sacrifice that
19th and early 20 th Centuries, it is
named after the premier educa- mingles with the classical idiom of public nude statuary.
tional institution which taught and On its feet, Tolentino incorporates the katakataka plant,
proselytized the style, the École de
Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in which he intended to symbolize the Filipino people with.
Paris. The statue is mounted on a pedestal made of river
Pedestal – a base supporting a stones, to symbolize the many islands that make up the
statue or some other object, syn- nation.(7)
onymous with socle; in architec-
ture, the lowest part of the sup-
porting masonry for a Classical col-
umn.
OBLATION REPLICA
Three more bronze versions of The Oblation were made by Tolentino’s assistant
Anastacio Caedo, made by pulling casts from the 1958 bronze version. These now
front the administrative buildings of the U.P. campuses of Los Baños, Laguna;
Baguio City; and Iloilo City. In addition, two more concrete casts were made
recently by Mulawin Abueva, sculptor-son of Napoleon Abueva. One went to the U.P.
underwater reserve off Sombrero Island, and another to the U.P. Mindanao campus
at Davao City. The Oblation that fronts the administrative office of U.P. College
Cebu is not a Tolentino design, but a copy made by Fidel Araneta.
VANTAGE
To the back of The Oblation, one surmounts the shallow
but wide steps of Quezon Hall to reach its colonnaded
open portico, or peristyle. Finished in 1950, the Admin
Building, as it is often called, is named after the Com-
Portico – a roof supported by col-
monwealth President, Manuel Luis Quezon. It serves as umns, and is usually attached to
the offices of the President of the U.P. System on the the front or sides of a building.
North Wing, and the offices of the Chancellor of U.P. Peristyle – an open space enclosed
Diliman on the South Wing. A synthesis of classical and by a colonnade
modern architecture, Quezon Hall is the most visible Column – a free-standing pier,
and recognizable structure of U.P. Diliman, especially usually of cylindrical shape, and a
circular cross-section, and built
among commuters and motorists who use both Univer- according to the Classical Orders
sity Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue. The open por- of Architecture.
tico, fluted columns, tiled roof, paired columns on the

Observatory Deck, and relief details on its corners point
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18 P A S Y A L
to its classical origins, while its use of floor-

mounted floodlights, a curvilinear cantile-
vered walkway, geometric grillwork, and a
simplified entablature frame points forward
to a more modern persuasion.
Quezon Hall is historically noted as a back-

drop of rallies and protests by students, fac-
ulty, and staff against policies of the Uni-
versity, and oftentimes government policies.
The most famous was the Diliman Commune
of January 23-February 1, 1971, when stu-
dents occupied Quezon Hall and the rest of
the campus, and barricaded it from police-
men, in protest against fuel price increases.
During EDSA Dos in January 18, 2001, Quezon
Hall was the meeting point of thousands of
rallyists, including the administration, fac-
ulty, and staff of both U.P. System and
Diliman, who then marched on to EDSA to
be in solidarity with the protests that
marked the removal of President Joseph
Estrada from office.
Cantilever – a principle of engi-
neering that allows a structure to By taking the second-story walkway that bisects the col-
project horizontally across space,
and is supported at one end. In the onnade (or better yet, the Observation Deck at the very
case of cantilevered structures, the top of Quezon Hall), one can gain panoramic views of
weight of a projecting mass of a
building is anchored at one end by the entire campus—and even the city. To the east is the
a system of steel-reinforced con- dense forest growth of the Lagoon area and Beta Way,
crete supports, which was previ-
ously impossible to do with tradi- with the hulk of Gonzales Hall towering over the trees,
tional stone masonry. and the misty mountains of San Mateo in the distance.
Entablature – the upper part of To the north, the Carillon commands the skyline of U.P.
the Orders of Architecture that are Diliman, next to the brick hulk of Villamor Hall, and sur-
held up by the portico, forming a
band around the upper part of the rounded by the lush growth of acacia trees; to the north-
façade. It is composed of 3 portions: east, the low bulk of Melchor Hall beckons, and further
the architrave, the frieze, and the
cornice. In the Classical tradition, beyond, the towering white spires of the Iglesia ni Kristo
this is often decorated with a vari- complex gleam in the horizon. To the south, the long
ety of repeating motifs.
line of acacia canopy runs eastward until one can glimpse
Carillon - a set of chromatically the Vargas Museum, Faculty Center, and Palma Hall, just
tuned stationary bells, usually hung
in a tower, and played from a key- beyond the canopy cover, with a hint of the skyline of
board. It also refers to the tune
played on a keyboard connected to
a set of stationary bells.
Quezon Hall Cranbrook Main Hall
SINGULAR FIND (9)
The architecture of Quezon Hall pays tribute to Finnish-born American archi-

tect Eliel Saarinen’s Main Hall at 260-acre Cranbrook Educational Community in
Bloomfield, Michigan. Saarinen’s 1940s structure is considered as one of the
most instructive and inspiring example of 20th century academic architecture.
Here, Bauhaus modernity, traditional building materials, outstanding urban de-
sign, landscaping and sculpture were judiciously blended to compose a contem-
porary academic village. Cranbrook’s highest architectural achievement is the
Main Hall’s classic grand peristyle, which served as the basis for Nakpil’s colon-
naded central void concept for UP’s Quezon and Gonzales Halls.
Quezon Hall’s architect, the National Artist Juan Nakpil, did not only took inspi-
ration from horizontal profile of Cranbrook’s compositional massing, but also
undoubtedly extended the syndrome of architectural mimicry beyond mere
coincidence. Nakpil’s sons, Ariston and Francisco, received their respective
master’s degree in architecture at Cranbrook Academy, before they formed
the partnership Nakpil and Sons in the 1953. Probably, Juan Nakpil considered
Cranbrook as the purest expression of a modernist vision for campus planning.
He took the cue from superior campus planning professed by Saarinen in
Cranbrook and sought to reproduce the same in the then new University of the
Philippines in the 1950s.
At first glance, the architectural imagery and environmental elements bor-

rowed from Cranbrook makes Quezon Hall an almost perfect facsimile of the
former. Yet, Nakpil transcended the sheer architectural replication by ex-
tracting from Cranbrook the architectural fundamentals which make U.P.’s
Quezon Hall truly unique and memorable. Such is manifested in the duplication of
the building’s strategic location at the terminus of a long processional approach
(University Avenue); the horizontally oriented volumetric arrangements punc-
tured by a classic grand peristyle at the center; and the utilization of landscap-
ing elements such as reflecting pool and sculpture (the Oblation) as counter-
point.
19
20 P A S Y A L
Cubao, Libis, and Ortigas, as well as Antipolo City in the

far horizon. Finally, as one returns his or her gaze to the
west, one can find the Oblation Plaza, the Gateway, and
University Avenue running its entire course, and notice
the gradual slope of the land that pushes down towards
a flat, gray-skied Manila, as well as the transmission
tower of the government-owned NBN rising from dead
center. On a clear day, one can even see Manila Bay glint-
ing in the horizon.
CONVERGENCE
Going down the flight of stairs that flank either side of
Quezon Hall’s eastern terrace (note its openwork bal-
Balustrade – a railing supported
ustrade design, which utilizes the monogram of U.P.),
by balusters, or by ornamented
openwork panels. Balusters are one comes across a vast expanse of lawn marked by an
usually short, cylindrical pillars that
asphalt road on one side, and low, grassy tiers that as-
are attached to the balustrade, and
are characterized by a curving, cend on the north and south. This is the University Am-
vase-shaped outline.
phitheater, the traditional venue for the University
Graduation since the fifties. The tiers often serve as
seating for parents and relatives, while the lawn serves
as the seating area for the graduates, who accept their
diplomas from the Chancellor at a dais in the terrace.
As the traditional venue for academic rituals and cel-
ebrations, the Amphitheater is also the culminating
venue for the traditional Lantern Parade, the raucous
university-wide celebration that marks the beginning of
the Christmas break for U.P., and serves as its version
of the yuletide fiesta. The Lantern Parade has been held
since the twenties, and in Diliman, the Amphitheater
becomes the stage in which presentations are made per
contingent, with floats, dancers, costumes, and music
calibrated to interpret the year’s theme, and win prizes
and honors for their respective institutions or colleges,
to the blast of fireworks, and the anticipated announce-
ment by the Chancellor of the end of classes for the
year.(6)
In the fifties, another ritual was undertaken at the Am-

phitheater, the Cadena de Amor. Female students be-
decked in their finery would pass to each other a long
garland of flowers that symbolizes the passing on of re-
sponsibility between female seniors and juniors. This
practice died down in the late sixties. (6)
PATHWAY
From the center of the Amphi-
theater, a lane runs directly
east, cutting through the raised
tiers, and ending in a small ro-
tunda marked by a concrete,
painted sculptural group atop a
tall pedestal. Titled Three
Women Sewing the First Fili-
pino Flag, the work is by Napo-
leon Abueva and Sons, commis-
sioned by the University in
1996, and was finished in
1997.(3) Among the later works
of Abueva, it shows his increas-
ing concern with historical fig-
ures in the Philippines, in this
case, the representation of
Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza
Agoncillo, and Josefina Herbosa
de Natividad, in their joint sew-
ing of the national tricolor dur-
ing the Hong Kong exile of the
Revolutionary Junta in 1897-98.
Although the figures are done
in neutral white, the flag is shown in its true colors:
Topiary – the art of trimming
royal blue, yellow, and red. Now known popularly as the
bushes, trees, and hedges into
Tres Marias, this sculpture marks the center of the decorative shapes; a garden
featuring plants that have been
Charter’s Garden, an area of shaded, manicured lawns
trimmed into various shapes .
between the Amphitheater and the Lagoon, with mean-
dering pathways that lead north to the Carillon, south to
the Vargas Museum, and east to the Lagoon. In the fif-
ties, it was reputed to have been the site of a topiary
garden.
21
22 P A S Y A L
LAGOON
Not far from the Charter’s Garden, and surrounded by a
bough of old trees, lies the Lagoon. A natural rainwater
catch basin since the uninhabited period of Diliman, the
Lagoon is one of the lowest elevation points in the Oval,
and among its most deeply forested. It has since seen
numerous attempts at making it less sinister at night,
with the addition of street lighting and the Beta The-
ater, a concrete stage platform located on one side of
the Lagoon for outdoor plays. The Beta Upsilon Frater-
nity sponsored its construction during the eighties.(3)
This is also referred to as the lover’s nook of Diliman,
where nightly trysts by pairs are common. The Lagoon
area is also the best place to observe fauna, such as the
rare monitor lizard, fresh water turtle, and various bird
and bat species.
Aerial perspective of the UP Lagoon and Academic Oval

SANCTUARY
Along its architecture and public art, the Diliman campus is an active habitat
where more than 76 species of vertebrates are to be found, including 7 species of
birds, 2 species of reptiles, and a species of mammal that are endemic to the area.
Local species of animals have had to compete with newer species introduced
through human habitation, as well as urbanization over the past 50 years. Three
species of birds that were historically documented have since been locally extinct.
Nonetheless, U.P. Diliman is still home to at least 47 species of birds, including the
nearly threatened Mountain Shrike (Lanius validirostris).(10) Diliman is thus a living
ecosystem that reflects how humanity has altered the environment, one that
beckons to birdwatchers and conservators of natural biodiversity.
The UP Arboretum, begun in the early 1950s as a forest depository by the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, has since become a model in developing an undisturbed tropi-
cal forest environment. Various fruit trees, flowering shrubs, and flowering orna-
mental plants have also been planted not only in residential areas, but also in the
perimeters of the academic and administrative structures themselves, lending a
softer, more informal and intimate atmosphere to the formerly rigid vistas. At
present, there are 192 species of trees, palms, and bamboos; 9 species of common
grasses, and 9 species of shrubs in Diliman, excluding vines, flowers, and lilies—a
relatively high rate of floral diversity, though one that was shaped mostly through
human intervention and planning.(11)
Upon the transfer from Manila in 1949, U.P. President Bienvenido Gonzales ap-
proved the planting of seedlings of acacia or raintree (Samanea saman) along the
main Academic Oval, under the direction of Professor Jose Vera Santos, and imple-
mented by students of Batches 1950 and ‘51.(3) Currently totaling 164 trees, they
constitute the realization of the American concept of shaded lanes where pedes-
trians and motorists go through. The Lagoon area was planted with various trees,
palms, and bamboos that simulate a more arboreal, forest-like environment. The
side streets to the immediate north and south of the Oval were also planted with
various shade trees, ranging from fire trees to molaves, acacias, narras, and
mango trees. Finally, University Avenue was planted with royal palm trees to present
a grand ceremonial approach to Quezon Hall. Pathways between buildings were
also designed as direct, linear approaches that emphasized the grandeur of its
main entrances, as is the case of
the Beta Walk between Palma and
Melchor Halls.
Recent trends of landscape archi-

tecture emphasize a more infor-
mal and intimate relationship with
its users, such as pocket gardens,
landscaped pathways, water-
scapes, and mini-parks. These in-
clude the Bonsai Garden near the
Executive House, and the Science
Walk between the Math and Sci-
ence buildings.
23
24 P A S Y A L
The Academic Oval
OVAL
From either side of the Lagoon, one can now ascend
into the four-laned streets that define the Academic
Oval: Osmeña Avenue to the north, and Roxas Avenue to
the south. Going south, one emerges into one side of
Acacia Lane, the informal designation of the rows of
50-year old acacia trees that are planted between Quezon
Hall and the Faculty Center.(3) The tree’s canopies have
since interlinked to form a continuous cover of branches
and leaves, giving the impression of a grand tunnel
formed by vegetation—a magnificent arc of greenery in
the city, and a street scene that can indeed compete
with the best streets in the world. In landscape design,
this vegetative tunnel is referred to as Alameda. A simi-
lar effect can be seen on the north side, between
Abelardo Hall and Melchor Hall. The continuous canopy
is only broken on the side of Palma Hall, where no aca-
cias were planted. The trees go on until they reach the
curving end of the Oval, in front of Vinzons Hall and the
CBA and Economics Buildings. The pathways underneath
DESIGNING THE CAMPUS CORE
Upon his appointment as Diliman’s master planner in 1939, Parsons responded with
a grand design focused on a core of green park space approachable via a grand
boulevard (now University Avenue), and calling for a series of paired structures
that were built opposite each other in the oval-shaped center, its perimeters
surrounded by acres of open parks. Only two buildings were completed in accor-
dance to Parson’s plans before World War II halted development.
By 1949, the responsibility of build-

ing U.P. Diliman was under Architect
Cesar H.R. Concio, the first campus
architect, and who also designed
Palma and Melchor Halls. In this tran-
sition period from post-War Libera-
tion to Independence, the ideals of
the City Beautiful Movement were
still very much in the consciousness
of planners. This can be seen in the
fulfillment of Parsons’s plans of hav-
ing structures built as paired oppo-
sites across a vista of park space.
Hence, Quezon Hall was mirrored
across the Lagoon by Gonzales Hall,
while Palma Hall was paired across
Laying of the cornerstone for U.P. build-
ings by Doña Aurora Quezon assisted by the Oval by Melchor Hall, both also
University Architect Cesar Concio in late exhibiting similarities of massing and
1940s. volume.
But between the late thirties and forties, a crucial shift in architectural taste had
occurred. The Neo-Classical ideals in structural design had given way to a more
utilitarian Modernist style, which privileged function over form. This can be seen
when one compares the façade styles of the Benitez/Malcolm Halls versus the
Palma/Melchor Halls: the former display arcaded hallways, balustrated verandahs,
pedimented entrances, columns and capitals reminiscent of the buildings of the
U.P. Manila campus; whereas the latter are notable in their lack of ornamentation.
Rather, the entire structure is now treated as a simplified mass of volumes and
planes. The grand stairwells, grand porticoes, and open atriums that characterize
the main entrances of Palma, Melchor, and Gonzales Halls, however, indicate an
earlier variant of Modern architecture, such as Streamline Modern or late Art
Deco, which were quite popular during the forties. Such a transitionary style can
also be seen in the open colonnade of Quezon Hall, designed by National Artist Juan
Nakpil, in which the classical fluted columns are now paired with a plain entabla-
ture, and have no capitals. The U.P. Carillon, also designed by Nakpil, and com-
pleted in 1952, is another fusion of the traditional and modern idioms of architec-
ture; functions as bell tower balanced by its simplified form of a massive capsule,
albeit with a domed top and plain pilasters defining its verticality.
25
26 P A S Y A L
From the mid-fifties on-

ward, the International
Style of Modern Archi-
tecture became the uni-
fying motif in the con-
struction of buildings in
Diliman. This is charac-
terized by a spare, mini-
Church of the Holy Sacrifice mal treatment of volume
and detailing; and a
more functional applica-
tion of design. Examples
of this trend would in-
clude: the Parish of the
Holy Sacrifice (1954),
designed by Leandro
Locsin; the Church of
Church of the Risen Lord the Risen Lord (1954),
and the Student Ser-
vices Center or Vinzons
Hall (1957), designed by Cesar Concio; the University Health Services or UP Infir-
mary (1957), designed by
Esperanza Siochi Cayco;
the Conservatory of Mu-
sic or Abelardo Hall (1960)
and the old University
Theater or Villamor Hall
(1960) designed by
Roberto Novenario; the
Law Center
Law Center (1968) and
the International Center
(1968), both designed by
Victor Tiotuyco; and the
Faculty Center or Bulwagang Rizal (1964), designed by Carlos Arguelles. Some of
the unique characteristics of Filipino Modern architecture as exemplified by these
structures are: the use of openwork masonry to ventilate heat from the struc-
ture (Vinzons Hall); the use of honeycombed brise-soleil to shield the structure
from direct sunlight (Benton and Abelardo Halls), the use of folded plates (Inter-
national Center), and a thin concrete shell dome (Church of the Holy Sacrifice).
In addition, the building period from the sixties onward would veer away from the
strictly symmetrical order of building to a more fluid arrangement of dissimilar
volumes. This is perhaps due to the perception that planning and design ought to
follow a more liberal, democratic, and human approach in siting buildings, rather
than emphasizing an imperious order of planning that awes, dominates, and regu-
lates its users. Hence, the Faculty Center is not paired across the Oval with a
similar structure. Neither does another tower on the opposite side balance the
Carillon.
the acacias are spacious enough for passers-by to walk Openwork Masonry – an orna-
by twos, and streetlights are in abundance. On Sundays, mental or structural work that is
perforated, pierced or lattice-like.
the entire Oval, except for the stretch from Vinzons Hall
to Economics, is closed to motorized traffic, becoming Brise-Soleil – a louvered sunscreen
incorporated into the facades of
an ideal shaded promenade for bikers, joggers, and park buildings to reduce glare, improve
habitués. ventilation, and increase comfort
in tropical weather. It was invented
by French architect Le Corbusier
in 1933.
MUSEUM
Folded Plate - a plate structure of
Crossing Roxas Avenue, one can take a look at the mod- thin, deep elements joined rigidly
along their boundaries and form-
ern, colonnaded cube of the Jorge B. Vargas Museum, ing sharp angles to brace each
standing on a concrete pedestal, and the depression of other.
the Sculpture Garden. Established in 1978 through a be-
quest of the UP Law alumnus – former
Executive Secretary to Manuel Quezon,
former Mayor of Wartime Manila, and
long-time governor of the Philippine Olym-
pic Committee – the Museum building,
completed in 1983, and inaugurated on
February 22,1987,(12) is a specimen of the
late modern style of architecture, with
its allusions to a classical temple (in the
form of the wrap-around terrace and col-
onnade) simplified through the use of
geometric planes and straight lines, and
the use of glass and concrete. Paying visi-
tors can go inside and view the
University’s trove of Philippine master-
works, while walking visitors may opt to
explore the immediate environs of the
Museum.
GARDEN OF STONE
In front of the Museum, two sculptures stand out. These
are Rajah Soliman by Anastacio Caedo (1987), and an
untitled calligraphic sculpture by Abdulmari Imao (1984),
to the lower right side. The contrast between the two
27
28 P A S Y A L
pieces is interesting. Caedo depicts the ruler of Maynilad

with the academic treatment of classical balance, re-
straint, fortitude, and dignity. Posed in a parade rest
position, the ruler’s face is set impassively, eyes star-
ing straight ahead. He is defined by his intricate native
armor, as he holds a kris in front of his body.
The entire larger-than-life statue is placed on
a pedestal, so that viewers may look up at
the figure with awe and reverence. By con-
trast, Imao’s large-scale work revels in the
curvilinear patterns of Islamic calligraphy, and
Maranao okir carving, resulting in a flamboy-
ant, s-shaped abstract metal piece that com-
bines three interrelated themes: the sari-
mosque (in the form of the 5-pointed star set
within the crescent moon), sari-manok (the
mythical rooster-like bird of dazzling plum-
age with a fish in its beak), and sari-okir (the
use of curvaceous lines that originate from
the pako rabong and naga woodcarving mo-
tifs of the Maranaos and Tausugs). This is an
example of Philippine modern sculpture that
integrates Muslim ethnic identity with abstract
form.(6)
Imao’s Islamic-inspired modern sculpture
Going down to the southern end of the Sculpture Gar-

den, one can notice other sculptures that are set around
the space. The middle of the Garden used to contain
the sculpture studio of Napoleon Abueva, when he was
the dean of the College of Fine Arts, and most of the
works in the Garden come from his output in this studio
between 1978-85. Among these are Fredeswinda/Asean
Boat, Bagong Buhay, Bridge of Love, and Temple of the
Mind. Abueva’s output by this time had become very
heterogenous, due to the different demands of patron-
age, and hence, the sculptures all display various inter-
pretations. They mostly fall under three categories: func-
tional sculpture; the human figure as heroic and roman-
tic; and metaphysical ruminations. Asean Boat functions
as an abstract, surreal tambayan (hang out), with its GI
Fredeswinda/Asean Boat
roof, and its hull ribs forming a rhythmic

wall, the whole ironically standing on two ped-
estals above the sea of grass. Bridge of Love
celebrates the equanimity of human love,
both nude man and woman reaching for each
other by arching their backs against a void,
their hands nearly touching. Bagong Buhay
celebrates motherhood, and references
Abueva’s first famous sculpture, Kaganapan.
Along with Abueva’s sculptures are others,

such as a large concrete-cast semi-abstract
untitled piece by Renato Rocha (1982) that
sits on a high pedestal overlooking the Gar-
den on the west side of the Museum.
Bagong Buhay
29
30 P A S Y A L
Bridge of Love
DEITIES
Walking from its parking lot
entrance to the front lobby,
one comes back to Acacia
Lane, and the Hardin ng mga
Diwata. Named after the
sculptural commission ex-
ecuted by Abueva in 1994,
the Hardin forms the front
lawn of Bulwagang Rizal of
the College of Arts and Let-
ters. Diwata or The Nine
Muses is a depiction of the
various spirits that personify
the inspiration of the arts
and letters (architecture,
The Nine Muses of Art
dance, film, literature, music, painting, photography,
sculpture, and theater).(3) The figures are arranged
around a ring-shaped pedestal held up by concrete piers,
its center open to the elements, with the figures of the
nude Muses cavorting around the pedestal, in various
poses and moods. It provides a dynamic counterpoint to
the modernist volume of Bulwagang Rizal, and maxi-
mizes the use of green space underneath it, allowing
people to look at the sculpture from below. It also dis-
plays a carefree, ebullient attitude that is far removed
from the sober austerity of the beaux-arts tradition.
Palma Hall circa 1950s
VORTEX
From the covered walkway besides the Hardin ng Diwata,
one can walk due south to reach the Science Complex,
or due east to the Social Science and Philosophy Com-
plex. Taking the eastern route, one follows the covered
walkway as it slowly ascends via a flight of stairs to a
massive structure. This is the west entrance of Palma
Hall, which has variously been called the Liberal Arts
Building (1951-59); the Arts and Sciences or AS Building
(1960-83); and now the College of Social Sciences and
Philosophy or CSSP Building (1984-present). Named af-
ter the fourth U.P. President, Rafael Velasquez Palma, it
initially boasted 22,990 square meters of classroom and
corridor space divided into four pavilions.(3) Subsequent
additions since its construction, such as the Third World
Studies Center, have added to this figure. Along with
31
32 P A S Y A L
Detail of Vicente Manansala’s The Arts and Sciences
Melchor Hall, Palma is the largest classroom building

complex in Diliman. It still contains classrooms for the
three colleges that formerly consisted the College of Arts
and Sciences (College of Sciences-CS; CAL; and CSSP).
On the south wall of the main lobby of Palma Hall, flank-
ing the entrance to the old AS 101 Auditorium, is Na-
tional Artist Vicente Manansala’s surrealist painting, The
Arts and Sciences (1960). Spanning 14 meters long by 2
meters wide, it is Manansala’s largest public mural in
U.P. Diliman, and depicts a surreal landscape animated
by an array of different motifs culled from many sources,
including the artist’s use of artistic details like the cara-
bao, as well as the depiction of the arts (the canvas and
easel, the statue, and the violin) and sciences (the com-
pass, the heart/brain/eye, and the test tube) at the
center of the panel. This is done in a polished painting
technique that preserves the details of the figures, un-
like Manansala’s more cubistic works at the Chapel of
Surrealism - the principles, ide- the Holy Sacrifice. On the floor of the ground floor and
als, or practice of producing fan-
second story lobbies, one can also see the terrazzo gra-
tastic or incongruous imagery or
effects in art, literature, film, or nolithic design pattern that combines abstract shapes
theater by means of unnatural jux- in different colors, similar to that found at the floor of
tapositions and combinations.
the Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice.
Terrazo – a type of mosaic used as
a floor or wall covering that is made
by laying marble or stone chips in Also in the same lobby, and towards the main entrance,
mortar and grinding them to a protected by open iron grillwork gates on all sides, stands
polished level surface.
a small bronze bust of Jose Rizal atop a black granite
pedestal. Made by Guillermo Tolentino in 1955, and in-
scribed with Rizal’s name in Tagalog alibata at the front
side of its base, the bust was a gift to U.P. from the
University Student Council of 1955-56. It is one of two
Rizal busts Tolentino reputedly made for U.P. The other
one attributed to him, made of plaster, belongs to the
Department of European Languages, CAL.(7) The siting
of Rizal at the Palma Hall lobby was both to ennoble him
to the students busily passing by, and to show the bal-
ance between the artist and scientist (since Rizal was a
little of both). The grand staircase that descends from
the lobby into Roxas Avenue is often a venue for rallies
and demonstrations, most notably, the consultation by
U.P. President Salvador P. Lopez with the U.P. Commu-
nity in 1971 that condemned police brutality during the
Diliman Commune.(6) It is now a favored place to hold
street concerts. The lobby and ground floor corridors
are also the venue of the once notorious, but now pub-
licly anticipated, Oblation Run conducted every Decem-
ber by the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity.
On the second floor, one is treated to a smaller version

of the lobby, which is the reception area for the Wilfrido
Ma. Guerrero Theater, operated by the Department of
Speech Communication and Theater Arts-CAL. On its
east wall is a mural painted by the U.P. Artist’s Circle in
1994, depicting a century of political struggle, from the
Reformists in the 1880s to EDSA 1 in 1986. A curved
balcony allows a view of the Acacia Lane, the forested
grounds surrounding the Beta Way, and the twin bulk of
Melchor Hall looming in the horizon. Going up to the
fourth floor corridor, one is also rewarded with a pan-
oramic view of the north side of the campus.
At the back of the ground floor lobby, on a kidney-shaped

reflecting pool, stands another Rizal monument, this
time a full figure standing, and done by an unknown
artist. It stands facing the seats and offices of AS 101,
the busy rooms for student records. A covered pathway
runs the length of the Palma Hall courtyard behind AS
33
34 P A S Y A L
101, connecting the western pavilions with the eastern

pavilions. It leads out to an alley, which has a covered
pathway leading east to the CASAA Canteen and Benton
Hall; north to Roxas Avenue and Gonzales Hall; and south
to Quirino Avenue and the Kamia/Sampaguita Ladies
Dormitories.
WALK
Crossing Roxas Avenue and the Palma Hall parking lot,
and returning to the University Mall, one descends down
a flight of stairs, and enters into a forested and grassy
parkway. This is the Beta Walk, a shortcut between
Melchor Hall and Palma Hall that traverses north to south
in a straight line, centered on the grand staircase of
Melchor Hall. Starting as a gravel path cut through the
park by the Beta Epsilon fraternity in 1952, the 240 meter
by 1.58 meter wide pathway was repaved in concrete
brick by 1962,(3) and more recently, in poured cement.
Passing through two glades of trees, and crossing over
the creek that wends westward towards the Lagoon, the
Beta Way is a refreshing pathway, convenient for stu-
dents who take their classes between the two buildings,
and another refuge for those relishing the beauty of the
outdoors, and the company of trees and wildlife. The
Beta Walk ends slightly off to the west side of the Palma
Hall grand staircase, showing that the entrance facades
of Melchor and Palma Halls are not perfectly aligned.
BOOKS
Founded in 1922, the University Library’s pre-war col-
lection of 143, 959 volumes, 44,919 pamphlets, 9,079
theses, 10,228 musical scores, and hundreds of phono-
graphs, manuscripts, maps, and charts, were all de-
stroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945. Reorganized in
January 1946, the Library transferred to the Diliman
campus in 1949, and acquired its new building a year
later.(6) Since then, it has recouped its losses, and is
now the largest single university library in the country.
Its building, named after the sixth President of the Uni-
Gonzales Hall circa 1950s
versity, Bienvenido M. Gonzales, has a floor area of

12,613 square meters, with a shelving capacity of one
million volumes.(3) Approached by covered pathways from
either the south (Palma Hall) or the north (National En-
gineering Center), the main staircase of Gonzales Hall
faces west, towards Quezon Hall. In 1950, when the park
was bare, the buildings could easily
be seen at street level. With the
growth of the forest, however, the
staircase is more a side entrance
than a main one. Nonetheless, visi-
tors may still be awed by the vista
of the building from the foot of the
staircase (the street fronting the Li-
brary is permanently closed to mo-
torized traffic), its massive corner
pedestals giving it an air of gran-
deur and monumentality that is an-
chored on Beaux Arts principles. Only
one of the pedestals has a statue,
though, done by Ildefonso Marcelo.
Titled Challenge, it belongs to the
same period and style as Marcelo’s
other adobe works, Captivity and
Contemplation. Challenge, however,
is a more expressionistic work. Un-
like the reposing stance of the other
two, Challenge shows a man kneel-
ing, head thrown back in an exag-
gerated manner, as if recoiling from
35
36 P A S Y A L
a devastating blow while pleading

for mercy. The angularity and
cubistic volumes of this piece is also
more highlighted, inviting com-
parisons with Mesoamerican statu-
ary like that of the Olmecs and
Toltecs, compared to the more clas-
sical treatment of Captivity and
Contemplation.
At the main entrance, an openwork

iron grill design is highlighted by
the 1950 version of the University
Seal, dominated by the wingspan
of the copper-colored eagle sur-
mounting a green shield and the
heraldic devices of the University’s
main disciplines: the lamp for
Knowledge; the cog wheel for In-
The Challenge dustry; and the coconut tree and volcano for the Philip-
pines. A pink granite architrave frames the great seal,
and the glass and iron doorway leading to the Main Li-
brary Hall, which is off-limits to non-students and non-
faculty. Nonetheless, the Library is a rich repository of
art from various donations of the alumni, mostly por-
trait busts and paintings of heroes, political personali-
ties, and episodes in Philippine history. The lobby hall-
way, used formerly as the card catalogue section and
now an electronic database search area, is decorated
with a mural 3.37 meters long by 1.82 meters wide,
done by Professor Carlos Valino. General del Pilar at
Tirad Pass (1964)(7) is an example of historical painting
that was encouraged and supported by the university,
as a symbol of nationalism, and a commemoration of
Expressionism - a theory or prac- youthful heroism, exemplified by the sacrifice of the
tice in art of seeking to depict the
subjective emotions and responses 27-year old boy general and his men during the Philip-
that objects and events arouse in pine-American War in December 1899, in order to give
the artist.
time for the party of General Emilio Aguinaldo to escape
Architrave - the molding around pursuing American soldiers across the Cordilleras and
a rectangular opening (as a door).
into their last safe haven at Isabela.
University Seal at the University Library
GROUNDS
Just behind Gonzales Hall, and framing the end of the
University Mall area, is a large, open grassy field that is
naturally depressed five meters relative to the surround-
ing road gradient. Planned as the first parade grounds
of the campus, the Sunken Garden has since become
the preferred playground for soccer players, baseball play-
ers, and others who use the Garden for their picnics and
leisure time. Picnickers and promenaders also have a
panoramic view of the Garden from the surrounding
streets, and the acacia trees that mark the terminus of
Acacia Lane also frame this space, providing contrast
between open and shaded parkland. Temporary signs are
often posted in the incline of the Garden. The Sunken
Garden is known as the venue of the first Cadena de
Amor Festival in Diliman in 1950; and annual
parade marches of the U.P. Reserve Officer
Training Corps (ROTC) have since occurred
here.(6) A roofed concrete reviewing stand to the
east end marks the spot where officials and par-
ents would be seated to see the passing review
of cadet officers and troops. The old Vanguard
Building, home of the U.P. ROTC, as well as its
barracks and armory, used to be located at the
back of the reviewing stand, where the School
of Economics now stands.
37
38 P A S Y A L
(13)
DILIMAN’S BEDROCK
The U.P. Diliman Campus is built on deposits that were produced by explosive
volcanic activity. These deposits are known as the Diliman Tuff. They comprise
part of a larger volcanic sequence called the Guadalupe Formation. In Angat and
Novaliches, this formation was measured to be 150 m thick. However, other
workers reported a thickness that range from 1.3 to 2.0 km. These volcanic
products are believed to have come from an ancient volcano located somewhere
in Laguna de Bay. The volcano has since disappeared because of the catastrophic
nature of its eruption, which left behind a depression that is now filled with
water.
Geologists from the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) and the Na-
tional Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED)
have recently determined that the volcanic deposits beneath the U.P. Campus
are products of at least four explosive eruptions. The deposits of these erup-
tions are separated by soil layers, which were the ground surfaces of U.P. Diliman
in the past.
Tuff
Buried Soil Horizon
Lahar deposits similar to those generated on the slopes of Mount Pinatubo during
torrential rains are also common, and are found between the eruptive deposits.
Leaves, tree trunks, and bamboo are preserved in some of the Diliman Tuff layers.
The deposits that host these fossils within the U.P. Campus match with those
found elsewhere in Quezon City, where fossil remains of a pygmy elephant and
rhinoceros were recovered. These plant and animal fossils suggest that the
Diliman volcanic sequence was laid down during the Pleistocene, some time be-
tween 11,000 to 1.8 million years ago.
Juan Arellano’s neoclassical Benitez Hall
PIONEER STRUCTURES
Crossing Ma. Regidor Street to the east, one can find
Benitez Hall, which houses the College of Education. One
of the two oldest buildings on campus, it was designed
by Juan Arellano, and finished in 1940. It exemplifies
the beaux-arts ideal that overlays neo-classical purity
and monumentality with Renaissance architectural mo-
tifs. This includes the use of a pediment over the main Pediment – in Western Classical
Architecture, a broad triangular or
entrance, columns and arches that frame the entrance segmented gable that surmounts a
and third story gallery, a pitched, tiled roof; and the use colonnade as a major decorative
aspect of a façade.
of arched openings on the second floor. Inside, the man
lobby is adorned with a cubist mural from an anonymous
artist, depicting the values of education. It is named
after pioneer educator, and first Dean of the College of
Education Conrado Benitez. At the rear of Benitez Hall
is a laboratory elementary school, a single-story class-
room structure, which is part of the UP Integrated School
(UPIS).
39
40 P A S Y A L
KATIPUNERO
Crossing the eastern side of Benitez
Hall, one can see the Student Affairs
Center or Vinzons Hall (1957) to the left.
In front of Vinzons Hall, on the top of
the driveway, stands a concrete
polychromed statue of a revolutionary
Katipunero often attributed to the
supremo Andres Bonifacio. This is Cry of
Balintawak, done by Ramon Martinez be-
tween 1905-1911, and was originally lo-
cated in what is now the Balintawak Clo-
verleaf. Construction of the North Luzon
Expressway forced its relocation to the
campus through a donation made by the
Bureau of Public Works to the University
in 1968. A bronze replica made by Napo-
leon Abueva is now placed at a plaza of
the said Cloverleaf.(3) The statue is a suit-
able counterpoint to the modern auster-
ity of Vinzons Hall, for it symbolizes the
figurative defiance and nationalism of the
Katipunan Revolution, which is etched on
the consciousness of student activists.
The Cry of Balintawak prior to its transfer to UP

BUSINESS
Walking northward from Vinzons Hall, one comes across
the College of Business Administration (CBA) Building.
In front of the main entrance is an abstract metal sculp-
ture by Napoleon Abueva, titled Spirit of Business (1979).
It is a representation of the entrepreneurial aspect of
business, with its cylindrical set of antennae-like ele-
Spirit of Business
ments thrusting forward, symbolizing prudent acumen
and forward progress. This is comparable to his other
large-scale abstract work in metal, Tribute to the Fili-
pino Enterpreneur (undated), which is at the courtyard
of the Institute of Small Scale Industries, which is fin-
ished in black, and is a vertical pile of abstract curvilin-
ear elements.
Inside the lobby, one finds a large abstract mural by

National Artist Jose T. Joya. Titled Barter of Panay (1978),
it refers to the story of the purchase of the lowlands of
Panay by ten Bornean datus led by Datu Puti, from the
Negrito King Marikudo, exchanging it with a gold salakot
and a long golden necklace for his queen. Joya’s work,
however, does not represent any human figure, but is
instead suggested through heavily painted polygons of
colors: black, white, orange, brown, and golden yellow.
An example of Philippine Abstract Expressionism, Joya’s
work marks the high point of modern painting in the
country, which reduces theme and content into formal
devices that are abstracted, and subject to emotional The Tribute to the Fili-
pino Enterpreneur at the
responses. courtyard of the Insti-
tute of Small Scale Indus-
tries (ISSI)
Abstract Expressionism - an ar-

tistic movement of the mid-20th
century comprising diverse styles
and techniques and emphasizing
esp. an artist’s liberty to convey
attitudes and emotions through
nontraditional and usually nonrep-
resentational means
nsfer to UP 41
42 P A S Y A L
spirit of business
Barter of Panay by Jose Joya
VISITORS
Just north of Romulo Hall lies the In-
ternational Center, finished in 1968.
The building is a collaborative archi-
tectural and engineering achievement
of Victor Tiotuyco and Cesar Caliwara.
Done in the International style of mod-
ern architecture, it is characterized
by minimal ornamentation, plain ge-
ometries, and an emphasis on form
as function. The building is renowned
for its lobby building, built with a large-
span folded plate, which rests on four
radiating beams rising at acute angle
from a triangular ornamental pool.
The lobby’s roof beams, formed as a
diagonal line, become its anchoring
pier. Two wings on either side of the
lobby designate its users according to
gender. Its design repeats the dia-
mond motif of the lobby in the form
of molded concrete panels for balus-
ess 43
44 P A S Y A L
trades, and triangular posts. The International Center

is the official dormitory for foreign students of U.P.
Diliman.
BALAY
At the end of F.M. Guerrero Avenue,
where Romulo Hall and the Interna-
tional Center are located, and just
past the Ilang-Ilang Residence Hall, is
the U.P. International House or Balay
Kalinaw. Inaugurated in 1993, and de-
signed by Mary Ann Espina,(6) this is a
manifestation of contemporary archi-
tecture that appropriates indigenous
stylistic elements to form a hybrid mix-
ture of periods and motifs. Shaped
like a large American Colonial-era
tsalet house, Balay Kalinaw has wraparound terraces on
its ground, and a second story balcony facing south, that
allow guests to lounge around comfortably despite the
tropical heat. It also contains decorative elements de-
rived from the Spanish Colonial bahay na bato, such as
floating transoms, individual tin iron roofs for window
bays with calado openwork-styled screens, and grilled
iron balustrades. The flooring also simulates the bahay
na bato’s use of hardwood panels.
Tsalet — (from the word “chalet”)

A typical dwelling in the early 20th
century American Period with a A PIONEER’S PAIR
distinctive L- or T-shaped stairway
leading to a front porch or a sur-
rounding porch.
Going back south, one can see the Law Complex, which
is composed of the Malcolm Hall and Law Center. Malcolm
Bahay na bato — A “stone house”
Hall was finished in 1940, and was designed by Juan
in the Spanish colonial tradition.
Arellano to be a paired counterpart with Benitez Hall,
Calado — (Spanish) openwork, such
across the Sunken Garden. It shows an almost exact
as patterns cut out from panels; a
“pierced screen work” found above replica of the façade of Benitez Hall. Inside, the visitor
the wall partitions and reached up
may note the use of neo-Classical motifs on the walls of
to the ceiling, which enhanced the
cross-ventilation inside the bahay the building. It also contains a valuable cache of por-
na bato.
trait paintings, notable, Ireneo Miranda’s Signing of the
Constitution (1956); Fred Macabuhay’s The Philippine
Supreme Court in 1935 (1951); and Fernando Amorsolo’s
George A. Malcolm (1951),(7) the first dean of the U.P.
College of Law, and after whom the building is named.
The paintings in Malcolm Hall connect to a tradition of
painting authoritative figures in lifelike, representational
poses.
UP Law Center
The Law Center, on the other hand, was completed in

1968 and designed by University Architect Victor Tiotuyco.
The structure is a rare example of modern architecture
adapted to the tropical condition. This is seen in its use
of stone finishing; thin concrete decorative columns with
Gothic-like ribbed false vaults which forms a shaded
pseudo-colonnaded façade; and glass windows. It also
contains a large seal of the College of Law above its
entrance, linking its ceremonial use and identity of the
building similar to that of Gonzales Hall. The Law Cen-
45
46 P A S Y A L
ter contains the library and faculty offices of the Col-

lege of Law and is arguably the center of legal scholar-
ship in the country, with its unparalleled collection of
decisions and statutes, and its faculty roster of top law-
yers, jurists, and members of the Supreme Court.
ATELIER
Similar to the Benitez-
Malcolm Hall pairings,
Palma Hall is paired with
Melchor Hall to the north
of the Oval. Finished in
1952, it contains a similar
amount of floor space.
Named after Col. Alejandro
Melchor, it is the home of
the College of Engineering,
and until recently, the Col-
lege of Architecture. It
contains some of the most
advanced engineering laboratories in the country, such
as the Computer Engineering lab, the Hydraulics lab,
the Mechanical Engineering lab, and the radio transmit-
ter of DZUP. Encompassing several pavilions at its north
side, and a large extension on the east side next to
Malcolm Hall, the complex also accounts for the struc-
tures for the National Engineering Center, the Univer-
sity Computer Center, and the Diliman Interactive Learn-
ing Center (DILC). The main lobby at Melchor Hall plays
host to an untitled mural done in 1988 by Armando Basug,
Emmanuel Garibay, and Jinna Ruth Morales. It combines
surrealism, graphics, and photographic realism. On the
floor of Melchor Hall lobby is another terrazzo design
that emphasizes the different disciplines of the College
of Engineering. Its grand entrance staircase is the site
of the annual Engineering concerts, and a favorite view-
ing spot for audiences of the annual Lantern Parade.
Between Melchor Hall and
the DILC is located the Uni-
versity Sundial, finished in
1973 by the Engineering
Alumni Association. U.P.
Engineers have had a long
history with building sun-
dials. The first one was
erected at the Padre Faura
campus in the 1920s,
which was considered
among the largest in the
world. Upon the transfer to
Diliman, Engineering stu-
dents erected another sun-
dial on the front lawn of
Melchor Hall in 1957. De-
stroyed by a typhoon in
1968, the current version
is the third in a long tradi-
tion kept by U.P. Engineer- University Sundial
ing students to hone their
skills in building com-
memorative but functional
devices.(3)
The pre-war University Sundial at UP Manila in 1938.
47
48 P A S Y A L
The University’s Worship, Recreational, and Service Zone
WORSHIP
Heading north from the DILC, and climbing up a gentle
slope between the Ipil Graduate Students Dormitory and
the School of Statistics compound, one comes across
the first of the two worship areas of Diliman, the Church
of the Holy Sacrifice (CHS). Before the fifties, students
of both Catholic and Protestant faiths worshipped in in-
tervals in a makeshift ecumenical chapel with a steeply
pitched roof built by the American Army, where the School
of Statistics compound is currently located.
In 1953, President Vidal Tan approved the
leasing of plots of land in Diliman for both
Catholic and Protestant groups, acknowledg-
ing the spiritual needs of the university
population on what was then an isolated cam-
pus. Funding for the CHS came through the
efforts of Jesuit Father John Delaney, who
also chose the design of National Artist
Leandro Locsin to complete his vision of a
chapel that welcomed all who came to it from
any direction.(6) Based on the design for a failed
chapel project with the Ossorio Family in Bacolod
City, Locsin’s circular plan was revolutionary in
the days before the reforms of Vatican II. It called
for a dome of 3-inch-thick concrete shell that is
spherical with a total central angle of 106 de-
grees, and a radius of 70 feet, resting daringly
on 32 thin reinforced concrete piers (9 inches
thick and 30 inches wide), which also followed
the curvature of the dome.(14) In addition, a can-
tilevered, ring-shaped concrete canopy was sus-
pended from the center of the curving piers,
protecting the perimeter from sun and rain, and
made the general impression of a space ship.
The cross is mounted on a tripod steel structure
directly on top of the dome.
Inside, other modern innovations were imple-

mented. National Artist Arturo Luz designed a
River of Life motif of colored granolithic ter-
razzo flooring that radiates almost 2,164 square
meters from the altar, and derives its forms from
the minimal but exuberant shapes of European
planar abstraction, such as those by Henri
Matisse, or the Catalan surrealist Joan Miro.
Abueva carved a double-sided hardwood cruci-
fix in simple curvilinear forms that is mounted
on the center of the dome, one side showing
the Crucified Christ, and the other, the Resur-
rected Christ. Finally, Vicente Manansala painted
a set of fifteen Stations of the Cross (the added
piece is the Resurrection) in a slightly Cubist
manner, and placed them along walls that punc-
tuated the sides of the chapel.(7) The combina-
tion of these works makes the CHS, inaugurated
in December 19, 1955, as a modern treasure
trove of art and architecture, involving National
Artists from several disciplines (National Artist Jose
Maceda also premiered his Pagsamba at the CHS in 1968).
49
50 P A S Y A L
THE MODERN ECCLESIASTICAL SHELL (15)

Mid-twentieth century architecture in the Philippines took inspiration from the
buildings of modern masters from the West. Rising from the ruins of war, architects
began to experiment with bold and new forms that emphasized honesty of materials
and functional simplicity. This modernist philosophy was charged with symbolic
appeal of building a brave new world in the aftermath of war. One such design
tendency was soft modernism, which as the name implies experimented with the
sculptural potential of concrete’s plasticity to come up with soft and organic forms
with the use of thin-shell technology. Shells are thin, curved plate structure shaped
to transmit applied forces acting in the plane of the surface. Thin-shell construc-
tion was heralded as method that “takes advantage of the inherent structural
strength of certain geometric shapes, such as hemispherical and elliptical domes; in
thin-shell construction great distances are spanned with very little material.” Yet,
thin shells had to face aesthetic obsolescence: the very designs that looked so
modern and progressive in the sixties seemed dated a few decades later.
Church of the Risen Lord (1956) St.Francis Church in Pampulha, Brazil (1943)
Church design in the 1950s renounced the well-worn transept configuration to

explore sculptural shapes that implores complex mathematics to ratify its geom-
etry. Such experimental path was initiated by Leandro Locsin’s space age circular
chapel capped by three-inch concrete shell at U.P. Diliman campus. Equally path
breaking and technologically congruent, was Ceasar Concio’s Church of the Risen
Lord, a stone’s throw from the Locsin’s circular chapel. The structure was pro-
claimed in the fifties as “an engineering masterpiece with its double parabola.” The
chapel is saddle-shaped – a hyperbolic paraboloid with flat ends. The lower slopes of
the vaulted wall are punctured by windows and vertical louvers at both sides of the
longitudinal elevation. The glass-clad façade has an opening defined by smaller arch
that supports a cantilevered porte-cochere. This entrance directly leads to the
processional nave, terminating the vision at the austere altar. Just above the
entrance, a choir loft can be ascended via a circular winding stair. The anonymity
of soft modernism and the lack of iconographic religious referents underline the
ecumenical aspiration of this ecclesiastical structure.
Tracing the genealogy of the architectural concept that structure sought to up-
hold, leads us to no less than Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Niemeyer is best
remembered for tropicalizing modern buildings by using adjustable brise-soleil in
his design for the city of Brasilia, Brazil’s new capital in the mid-fifties. The fact
that he was part of Brasilia is essential to explain conceptual provenance of the
Concio’s parabolic church.
But what could be more illustrative of Concio’s imitative tendency (or perhaps a
“homage” to his modernist idol) than the photograph of Oscar Niemeyer’s St. Francis
Church in Pampulha, Brazil? The Church of St. Francis was completed in 1943 as part
of Pampulha Lake district.
CHURCH
Crossing the northern lawns of the CHS, and across the
street, is the Church of the Risen Lord (CRS), the Prot-
estant chapel of U.P. Diliman. Designed by Cesar Concio,
and inaugurated on July 1, 1956,(6) the CRS is an equally
modern building that concentrates its aesthetic elements
on its structure rather than decoration. A cone-shaped
parabola that stands on concrete rings on the front and
back, and angled piers at the side, the CRS also fea-
tures a concrete shell roof, this time curved like a piece
of folded paper. The piers on the side form a rhythmic
pattern of diagonals that emphasize the thrust of the
structure heavenward, and forward. The chapel’s front
is a glass wall, allowing light to flood into the interior.
Structures have since been added to its side, including
a Community Center, and Vocational Training Center,
emphasizing the integral use of the chapel to develop
the surrounding community.
HEALTH
Starting off as a temporary Infirmary made of sawali, Sawali — (Tagalog) flattened split
the former Enlisted Men’s Club of the U.S. Army occupy- bamboo woven together into her-
ringbone patterns and used for wall
ing Diliman during Liberation, the University Health sidings or ceilings.
Service (UHS) had its first permanent structure inaugu-
rated in 1957.(3) A 60-bed hospital with a 24-hour emer-
gency room, its façade mirrored the modern application
to a conventional design. A cantilevered sunscreen pro-
tected the pavement of the main entrance, which fea-
tures porthole windows finished in faux cement brick.
The boxy nature of the Admitting Section and Outpa-
tient Department also indicates its adherence to the
international style, albeit with more conventional geo-
metric patterns, such as the square and grid.
ALUMNI
Heading down south from the Post Office, and after
turning right at Molave Dormitory, one comes across the
U.P. Alumni Association (UPAA) complex of buildings, of
51
52 P A S Y A L
which Ang Bahay ng Alumni is the most noted.

A large auditorium with shops of the sec-
ond floor mezzanine, it was built
through donations from the alumni,
and was finished in 1996.
Designed by Geronimo
Manahan, the building is
another example of the
postmodern style, which at-
tempts to reuse historic ar-
chitectural elements and re-
turn to the use of ornament.
This can be seen in the use
of brick-faced columns,
arched glassed entrances,
and a large semi-circular
stained glass window on the
front, alternating with a
Ang Bahay ng Alumni
plain, unadorned façade. The sides of the building con-
tinue the motif of columns, with stained glass panels
Bust - a sculptured representation
serving as doorways and partition walls. In the lobby is
of the upper part of the human fig-
ure including the head and neck and a bust titled Alma Mater, sculptured by Napoleon Abueva,
usu. part of the shoulders and
breast.
which is consistent with his more figurative style of the
nineties.
BRICK BUILDINGS
Across the street from Ang Bahay ng Alumni is the Cine
Adarna. This institution is operated by the Institute of
Film Studies-College of Mass Communication (formerly
the U.P. Film Center). Finished in 1984, and designed by
Honorato Paloma, it is an example of the early phase of
Postmodern architecture, in which the plain geometry
of the International style is broken down utilizing his-
torical styles and vernacular motifs raided from various
architectural traditions. In the case of the Cine Adarna,
the grand entrance processional (in the form of stag-
gered staircases, and a massive, box-shaped concrete
canopy) of classical Greek temples are re-used to cre-
ate a modernist temple for cinema-goers. The use of
red brick also connects it with the
Western tradition of industrial
brick buildings, a sort of dream fac-
tory. Noticeably present inside the
theater are metallic aircon ducts,
deliberately exposed to render the
space with industrial and machine-
like quality. The 800-seat capac-
ity, fully air-conditioned theater is
noted for its comprehensive pro-
grams of film screenings that in-
troduce Filipino cineastes to the
various local and international tra-
ditions of filmmaking. Cine Adarna
Continuing west, we reach the University Theater.

Among the earliest institutions founded in U.P.
Diliman, the Theater began as a large, hangar-type
steel structure open on the sides, and built by Ameri-
can forces in 1945 for the entertainment of its troops.
It remained in this state for most of the fifties, when
the Theater was the venue for the conferment of
visiting US President Dwight D. Eisenhower of an
honorary doctorate degree of laws, as well as visits
by international artist groups. In 1960, under U.P.
President Vicente Sinco, the Theater was renovated
and enclosed by Roberto Novenario, creating a 3,000-
seat capacity auditorium that retained its spherical
hangar roof, but added a concrete façade with a Mod-
ernist folded screen motif, and also enclosed its
sides. It was renovated again from 1984-86 under
the term of U.P. President Edgardo Angara.(3) The
result of which is the current brick building we now see. University Theater
With a slightly smaller 2,400 seating capacity, the The-
ater is nonetheless fully air-conditioned, and has a lobby
and dedicated backstage area for constructing and mov- Cladding — (something that cov-
ing sets. Similar in appearance to Cine Adarna, it is also ers or overlays such as brick or
metal.
an example of early contemporary Philippine architec-
ture, with its simplified massing of geometric figures;
the use of red brick cladding; the massing of its cor-
53
54 P A S Y A L
ners into massive pylons curved towards the center that

suggests a proscenium; a large concrete port cochere
for the driveway; and corner windows that angle
sideward. The sides of the Theater also continue a
cubistic series of concrete posts and lintels that dis-
guise the frame construction of the building; and the
massive bulk of the stage fly rises like a red and gray
cube at its back. As the traditional venue for the per-
forming arts in U.P., the Theater is an active site for
musicals, dances, and concerts both classical and mod-
ern.
BELLS
Designed by National Artist Juan Nakpil,
and finished in 1952, the 130-foot tall Car-
illon Tower, located between Cine Adarna
and the University Theater, is the second
most recognizable landmark of U.P.
Diliman. Historically alluding to the origins
of the university as a monastic complex
whose rhythms were ordered around the
ringing of bells, the Carillon nevertheless
defines its role as a provider of leisure in
the form of the pealing of its bells as mu-
sical interludes, rather than as markers of
time. Its 40 bells, cast in Holland, are con-
trolled from a master keyboard-and-pedal
set by a carilloner at the ground floor.(6)
The Carillon often plays music related to
UP, such as UP Naming Mahal, and inspira-
tional music. Its pealing, echoing across
the Oval during the morning and late af-
ternoon, provides a campus atmosphere
reminiscent to the great universities of Eu-
rope, such as Oxford, Tübingen, and the
Sorbonne. From the late sixties to the early
eighties, the Carillon was unutilized and in
disrepair. The 1983 Diamond Jubilee Com-
mittee restored the Carillon, and it has been
playing regularly since 1984.
MUSIC
J ust west of the
University Theater,
and rounding out
our tour, is the com-
plex of buildings
housing the U.P.
College of Music
(CM). Its most fa-
mous building,
fronting Osmeña
Avenue, is Abelardo
Hall, named after
nationalist musi-
cian and Professor
Nicanor Abelardo.
Originally, CM used
to occupy offices at
the North Wing of Quezon Hall upon its transfer from
U.P. Manila, when it was still called the Conservatory of
Music. The construction of the Music Conservatory Au-
ditorium in the sixties under Roberto Novenario’s de- Proscenium – part of the theater
stage that is in front of the cur-
sign allowed it to move to its present location. It was tain, often framing the stage; in
elevated in 1968 into the College of Music. Renaming Roman classical antiquity, referred
to the stage itself.
the Auditorium as Abelardo Theater, it has also since
become the name of the attached two-story building con- Port Cochére – an opening or
shaded extension of a building that
taining offices and classrooms that form a quadrangle allows vehicles to pass through the
around it. Another example of modern architecture form front or interior of a building.
the sixties, it displays simplified forms that remove Stage Fly – portion of the theater
extraneous decoration, such as rectangular windows, where the equipment for raising
or lowering sets, backdrops, and
plain concrete squares for balustrades, and unadorned lights are located in an enclosed
facades for pilasters. The front of Abelardo Theater fac- structure rising directly above
the stage. It is the highest part of
ing the Oval is also clad with an openwork concrete brise- the theater.
soleil honeycomb that allows screening from sunlight.
Pilaster – a rectangular pier en-
Abelardo Theater is a regular venue for the holding of gaged to the wall and projecting
concerts by CM students and internationally renowned only slightly from it. It often has a
decorative rather than a utilitar-
U.P.-based music groups, such as the UP Cherubims and ian function.
Seraphims, the UP Concert Chorus, the UP Jazz En-
semble, the Philippine Madrigals, and the UP Singing
55
56 P A S Y A L
Ambassadors. Recently, a new wing was added to the

compound’s north side, which now houses a 100-seat
mini-hall, the Camerata Courtyard, and a museum for
Philippine and Asian instruments. It is in the neo-mod-
ern style of architecture, with steel and concrete ele-
ments showing a technologically sophisticated motif de-
rived from computer-aided design.
SPORTS
Quonset - trademark used for a

At the opposite end of the campus, northwest of the
prefabricated shelter set on a foun- College of Music, lies the University Gymnasium, the
dation of bolted steel trusses and
home of the College of Human Kinetics (CHK). Origi-
built of a semicircular arching roof
of corrugated metal insulated with nally built in 1963, the Gym is an example of the Quonset
wood fiber.
Hut design of a curvilinear, barrel-shaped roof first used
by the American armed forces to build large structures
easily and efficiently. It was transferred from its origi-
nal location next to the Swimming Pool to its current
location in 1982.
COOLING DOWN
Despite its neo-colonial legacy, the public art of UP Diliman demon-

strates that the campus is not a mirror image of an American University,
but is a University of and for the Philippines. The public art and designed
environment of the campus reflect the negotiations made from colonial
planning and design. These were transformed by the active intervention
of Filipino artists and architects into the hybrid forms that speak of a
cultural identity rooted in diversity and history.
As you exit and reach the comfort of your homes, you can revisit this
brochure and relive the experience. Meant to guide you through the
tour, the brochure also introduces you to certain art historical terms,
themes and concepts, which you may want to further clarify or study in
more depth. In addition, we may pose for you some of the questions
posed in the first edition of Pasyal in order for one to ponder on the
implications of its survey, such as:
What makes a work public?

The works that are discussed here are commissioned works produced by
studio artists, whose works are largely individualist and located within
the more specialized space and conventions of the studio, galleries and
museums or the “fine arts.”
As makers of public art, how did the artists strike a balance between the
demands of a given theme, and the “public” functions for which their
sculptures, buildings and paintings were commissioned, on one hand,
and their very personal and at times, highly individualized vision and
ways of making art, on the other?
How did the artists give form and shape to the University’s founding
mission and fundamental principles of social commitment, academic free-
dom, and the search for truth, and academic excellence?
Are the works’ form, style and meaning effective and accessible – emo-
tionally, intellectually and socially - to you, as a specific member of the
“public”?
57
58 P A S Y A L
What do these works mean?

What is meant when we say that UP Diliman public art are neo-colonial,
secular, classic (and related terms Beaux Arts, Art Deco, and so on)
modern (and related terms Cubist, Surreal, International Style, and so
on), and neo-vernacular (and related terms bahay na bato and bahay
kubo, okir design traditions, calligraphy, and so on)? What philosophies
do they convey?
What do these works mean to you? How meaningful and relevant are
they to you?
What do you feel as you view and engage with the works? For instance,
what is the difference between viewing the Places of Worship before,
during and after a mass? After communing with these churches, do you
agree that they are “built for living people, suggesting a more egalitar-
ian and ecumenical approach to worship.” Why and why not?
Why these works and why these artists?

In the list of National Artists for the Visual Arts (painting, sculpture,
architecture), there are no women, cartoonists, and artisans in the so-
called “folk” or “traditional” arts. Why? Who are chosen as National
Artists, and who are excluded? If the artist is not a National Artist, does
this mean that he/she cannot be considered major or significant?
You may also wish to ponder why there is only one woman in this collec-
tion. To do so, you will have to inquire about such complicated but im-
portant concerns, as follows:
· How certain persons are trained and recognized as

“artists,” including their education, patrons, the groups
they affiliate with, their places of work, the sources
and influences of their artistry, their artistic beliefs and
visions, and so on.
· What institutions (museums, galleries, media, schools,

church) have the power to name people as artists, and
objects as “art”
· The role of art critics, art historians, journalists and
reviewers in recognizing and acknowledging contribu-
tions of artists, the artists they choose to write about
and the artists they exclude, the works they deem “good”
or “bad” art, and their criteria for writing, analyzing
and judging works of art.
In documenting and probing the issues about the nature of artistic pro-
duction such as the utilization of symbolic, ideological, and formal lan-
guage in the designed environment and public art, this guidebook is
conceived to further the understanding of the various contexts that shape
Philippine visual art and architecture, and its dissemination to the gen-
eral community, especially the users of the Diliman campus. In this re-
spect, the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA), as part of
its official mandate, endeavors to protect, preserve, and disseminate
to the wider public the University’s traditions in public art and architec-
ture.
59
60 P A S Y A L
References:
Wilson, William H. The City Beautiful Movement. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
(1)
University Press, 1989.
Craig, Lois A. The Federal Presence: Architecture, Politics, and Symbols in

(2)
United States Government Building. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1978.
(3)
University of the Philippines, Sites and Symbols: UP Diliman Landmarks.
Quezon City: Office of the Chancellor, University of the Philippines, 2000.
(4)
Interview with Professor Enrico Flor, Landscape Architecture Program,
College of Architecture, University of the Philippines, May 2004.
(5)
Feliciano, Gloria D., ed. The University of the Philippines: A University
for Filipinos. Quezon City: Diamond Jubilee Presidential Commission, Univer-
sity of the Philippines, 1984.
Office of Initiatives in Culture and the Arts. Pasyal sa UP Diliman. Quezon

(6)
City: Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, University of the Philip-
pines, 2002.
(7)
University of the Philippines. The University Art Collection (General Cata-
logue, Vol. I). Quezon City: Office of the President, University of the Philip-
pines, 1986.
(8)
Manalo, Lilmay. “Guillermo Estrella Tolentino: A Classic of his Time.”
Guillermo E. Tolentino: Facing History (catalogue accompanying the exhibi-
tion). Pasig City: Kalipunan ng Sining at Kultura ng Pasig, 2003.
(9)
Lico, Gerard . “A Genuine Imitation?” Bluprint Magazine, Vol.5, 2001
Ong, Perry S., Marisol dG. Pedregosa, and Michael G. de Guia, “Wildlife
(10)
Inventory of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and the Ateneo de
Manila University Campus,” Science Diliman 11/1 (January-June 1999), 6-20.
Sotalbo, Emiliano D. Trees, Palms, and Bamboos of the University of the

(11)
Philippines Diliman. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2001.
Pilar, Santiago A. Pamana: the Jorge B. Vargas Art Collection. Quezon

(12)
City: University of the Philippines Vargas Museum, 1992.
Lagmay, Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. and Eligio C. Obille Jr. “Geology of

(13)
the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus,” National Institute of Geo-

logical Sciences. Unpublished, 2004.
(14)
Junio, Alfredo. “The U.P. Circular Chapel,” Design Magazine, August-
September 1956.
Lico, Gerard. “Learning from Niemeyer’s Ecclesiastical Shell,” Bluprint

(15)
Magazine, Vol. 5, 2002.

CAMPUS MAP LEGEND
University of the Philippines
Diliman
1 QUEZON HALL 55 NATIONAL TEXTBOOK CENTER 109 BARANGAY KRUS NA LIGAS
2 GONZALEZ HALL 56 KAMIA RESIDENCE HALL 110 CREDIT UNION
3 PLARIDEL HALL 57 NATURAL SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER 111 WET MARKET
4 DANCE STUDIO 58 MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE 112 VILLAGE A
5 ABELARDO HALL 59 VIDAL TAN HALL (ISMED) 113 VILLAGE B
6 VILLAMOR HALL 60 UNIVERSITY POLICE/ FIRE DEPARTMENT 114 EQUINE STUD FARM
7 CARILLON 61 UNIVERSITY PRESS 115 HARDIN NG ROSAS
8 FILM CENTER 62 ALBERT HALL 116 SHELL GAS STATION
9 TENNIS COURTS 63 BARTLETT HALL (FINE ARTS) 117 NATIONAL COMPUTER CENTER
10 MELCHOR HALL 64 WAITING SHED 118 PETRON GAS STATION
11 65 VIRATA HALL (ISSI) 119 JOLLIBEE/ COMMERCIAL CENTER
12 NATIONAL ENGINEERING CENTER 66 COLLEGE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 120 BALAY KALINAW
13 U.P COMPUTER CENTER 67 BONIFACIO HALL (SOLAIR) 121 KAPITBALAY NG KALINAW
14 GERMAN YIA BUILDING 68 STATE AUDITING & ACCOUNTING BUILDING 122 HARDIN NG DONA AURORA
15 MALCOLM HALL 69 YLANAN HALL (GYMNASIUM) 123 ANG BAHAY NG UP ALUMNI
16 BOCOBO HALL 70 AREA 2 124
17 ROMULO HALL 71 AREA 3 125
18 SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS 72 TENNIS COURTS 126
19 73 COOPERATIVE GROCERY 127 U.P. VETERINARY HOSPITAL
20 VINZONS HALL 74 UNIVERSITY SHOPPING CENTER 128 ARCHERY RANGE
21 UNIVERSITY BOOK CENTER 75 PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK 129 POOK AMORSOLO
22 LORENA BARROS HALL 76 UP HEALTH SERVICE (INFIRMARY) 131 U.P. TECHNOLOGY PARK
23 NARRA RESIDENCE HALL 77 PROTESTANT CHAPEL 132
24 BENITEZ HALL 78 POOK DAGOHOY
133
25 U.P. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 79 POOK RICARTE
26 BENTON HALL 134
80 HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER
27 CASAA FOOD CENTER 135
81 U.P. HIGH SCHOOL (UPIS)
28 SOLIDOR HALL 136
82 U.P. PREPARATORY SCHOOL (UPIS)
29 ZOOLOGY BUILDING 83 MATH BUILDING 137 PHIVOLCS BLDG.
30 PALMA HALL 84 138 U.P. VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER
31 FACULTY CENTER 85 139 BALAY CHANSELOR
32 VARGAS MUSEUM 86 EXECUTIVE HOUSE 140
33 87 141 CORAL BLDG
34 DCMT COMPLEX 88 PROPOSED COL. OF ARCHITECTURE ANNEX 142
35 U.P. VANGUARD BUILDING 89 DZUP 143 SEAWEED BUILDING (MBB)
36 U.P. POST OFFICE 90 U.P. BLISS (SAN VICENTE) 144
37 FONACIER HALL (ALUMNI CENTER) 145 CHE CRAFT DESIGN LABORATORY
91 WET MARKET
38 ATHLETES' QUARTERS 146 UPIS BLDG. (K-6)
92 PETRON GASOLINE STATION
39 GRANDSTAND 147
93 NATIONAL HYDRAULIC CENTER COMMUNITY RELATIONS BUILDING
40 MOLAVE RESIDENCE HALL 148 ASTI BLDG.
94 SEWERAGE TREATMENT PLANT (PROPOSED)
41 SANGGUMAY RESIDENCE HALL 149 COLLEGE OF MUSIC ANNEX
95 ARBORETUM
42 KALAYAAN RESIDENCE HALL 150
96 CAMPUS LANDSCAPING OFFICE
43 YAKAL RESIDENCE HALL 151
97 PHIL. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (PAEC)
44 IPIL RESIDENCE HALL
98 INNOTECH 152 PAVILION 2 -- INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS
45 CSWCD (OLD COMPLEX) 99 ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TOURISM (AIT)
153
46 CATHOLIC PARISH OFFICE 100 PHIL. SOCIAL SCIENCE CENTER (PSSC)
47 PARISH OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE 154
101 AREA 1
48 SWIMMING POOL & CANTEEN 155 PROPOSED LIM MUSEUM
102 POOK PALARIS
49 ILANG-ILANG RESIDENCE HALL 103 PCED HOSTEL 156
50 INTERNATIONAL CENTER 104 157
51 CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER 105 POOK AGUINALDO
158
52 ALONZO HALL 106 U.P. BLISS (SIKATUNA)
159 CSWD COMPLEX (NEW)
53 WEATHER BUREAU 107 INP HEADQUARTERS
108 METROCOM HOUSING 160
54 SAMPAGUITA RESIDENCE HALL
61
62 P A S Y A L
Director
Dr. Eufracio C. Abaya

Cultural Anthropologist
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Advisory Board
Dr. Grace J. Alfonso

Cinematic Arts
College of Mass Communication
Prof. Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete

Theater Arts
College of Arts and Letters
Dr. Apolonio B. Chua

Literature
Prof. Roberto B. Feleo

Visual Arts
College of Fine Arts
Dr. Patrick D. Flores

Art History and Criticism
Dr. Leilani L. Gonzalo

Dance
College of Human Kinetics
Prof. Gerard Rey A. Lico

Architecture and Interior Design
College of Architecture
Prof. Nita A. Quinto

Music
College of Music
Mr. Michel Kristian R. Ablan

Student Representative
Staff
Jennifer G. Concepcion-Catina
Administrative Officer
Martha J. Paz
Cultural Program Specialist
Esperanza G. dela Cruz

Clerk
OFFICE FOR INITIATIVES IN

CULTURE AND THE ARTS

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A N I N V I TAT I O N

Welcome to the University of the Philippines Diliman

This guide functions as a comprehensive introduction

other sites of interest within the campus, a folded map

Before proceeding with the tour, this guide introduces

Designed Environment is the integra-

Public Art refers to various two and

Urban Planning refers to the planning

ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS

The campus is easily accessible by taxis and public util-

LAY OF THE LAND

around the tree-shaded avenues, and often park their

The University Mall

Walking from the University Sign to the corner of Carlos

TALE OF THE TERRAIN

Malcolm Hall circa 1950

way Competition sponsored by the President’s Commit-

Right after the Gateway and

In the Gateway can also be found the commemorative

At the crossing of University Avenue and

Colonnade – a row of supporting

The student barricade

LOCUS: PUBLIC ART

As the symbol of U.P., The Oblation is often wrapped in

meters tall by 2.53 meters from left

tico, fluted columns, tiled roof, paired columns on the

to its classical origins, while its use of floor-

Quezon Hall is historically noted as a back-

SINGULAR FIND (9)

The architecture of Quezon Hall pays tribute to Finnish-born American archi-

At first glance, the architectural imagery and environmental elements bor-

Cubao, Libis, and Ortigas, as well as Antipolo City in the

In the fifties, another ritual was undertaken at the Am-

Aerial perspective of the UP Lagoon and Academic Oval

Recent trends of landscape archi-

The Academic Oval

By 1949, the responsibility of build-

From the mid-fifties on-

pieces is interesting. Caedo depicts the ruler of Maynilad

Going down to the southern end of the Sculpture Gar-

roof, and its hull ribs forming a rhythmic

Along with Abueva’s sculptures are others,

Palma Hall circa 1950s

Detail of Vicente Manansala’s The Arts and Sciences

Melchor Hall, Palma is the largest classroom building

On the second floor, one is treated to a smaller version

At the back of the ground floor lobby, on a kidney-shaped

101, connecting the western pavilions with the eastern

versity, Bienvenido M. Gonzales, has a floor area of

a devastating blow while pleading

At the main entrance, an openwork

Buried Soil Horizon

The Cry of Balintawak prior to its transfer to UP

Inside the lobby, one finds a large abstract mural by

Abstract Expressionism - an ar-

trades, and triangular posts. The International Center

Tsalet — (from the word “chalet”)

The Law Center, on the other hand, was completed in