TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES – QUEZON CITY

AR 401- ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 7 -

COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN

PRELIM PLATE: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

THEME: “RENEWAL OF URBAN DECAY ARCHITECTURE AS A RESULT IF
NEGLECTED INFRASTRUCTURE IN PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RAILWAY’S,
PACO STATION”

SALAS, VON MARTIN MILLE

CASADO, BLOSSOM FAITH
ENTERA, ALLIANE KIARA
LABOR, KATE ABIGAIL
SUPERIO, ERINE
ARCH41S2
INTRODUCTION

People can be reminded of the area's rich past and create many memories in the
present simply by looking at the remnants of structures that have been rebuilt. Old
buildings can be saved and given new life through adaptive reuse, which keeps their
historic significance and distinctive qualities while repurposing them for the benefit of
future generations. Injecting new life into structures rather than entirely destroying them
is an artistic approach.

From 1898 until 1946, when the Philippines were a colony of the United States,
the nation underwent structural and cultural transformations. Americans wanted to
upgrade railroads, which is why the Paco Railway Station, one of Manila's most
recognizable buildings, was built. The Philippine National Railways is in charge of
running Paco Railway Station (PNR). Its original façade, constructed in 1915 across
Plaza Dilao, is still there today. However, because of a postponed mall building, it was
partially destroyed. Both the public and private sectors have been working tirelessly to
renovate and revitalize the train station up until this day.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Paco Railway Station was designed by William Parsons and was built in
1915. During World War II, this was occupied by the Japanese as a stronghold, but was
later on freed by the Americans. But unfortunately, the said train station was partly
demolished in 1996 by a buyer who proposed to convert the station into a mall. But this
was discontinued due to lack of funds, and now, the Paco Railway Station is not used
anymore.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Objectives:
• To make the Paco Railway Station functional again.
• To revitalize the deteriorating station.
• To educe the station’s historical value.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The Paco Railway Station has never been used to the public again, resulting in
the deterioration of the building; this is not only occurring in the said station, but this is
also happening to other PNR stations as well, this is due to the lack of funding for
operations and maintenance (Dungca & Orbon, 2015). According to the Asian Green
City Index, jeepneys are still the leading mode of transportation, but with the number of
residential areas arising, the development of transit-based transportation is certain, in
order to cater the number of people who might stay in the metro (Lamudi, 2014).

The North-South Railway Project (NSRP – South) alignment will run along the
existing Philippines National Railway (PNR) right of way (ROW). The PNR ROW
extends through highly dense urbanized areas to both north and south, with dense civil
infrastructures and sprawling posing difficulties in the construction of railway commuter
lines. These physical obstacles include rivers, highways, ramps, ongoing infrastructure
projects, at-grade crossroads, informal settlers, and historical structures requiring
conservation (JICA, 2018).

Relating the problem of the Paco Railway Station, according to a study of Rail
Delivery Group, in 2016, the Birmingham New Street Station is also currently
experiencing distress from lack of accessibility to the station, poor station breathability,
acting as a barrier to pedestrians, and poor passenger interconnection both for
additional train services and for additional transportation options. The purpose for its
renewal was to make it more accessible for everyone by providing better links to and
through the stations for pedestrians, resulting in a significant catalyst for the physical
restoration of the neighboring areas of the railroad.

Based on (JICA,2020), two plans are proposed for a new paco station. Plan A
Station lies 600m north of the current station. Plan B station lies beside the northern
part of the current station. The foremost consideration in finalizing the station site is the
presence of a historical building (the old PNR PACO station) which raises concerns for
rehabilitation/renovation with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP). Thus, the reason for recommending Plan A is to avoid the old station.
SIGNS OF URBAN DECAY IN PACO STATION

• The station has stopped operating since after the postwar of World War 2.
• It was sold in the 1900s and partially demolished to be replaced by a proposed
mall.
• The demolition has stopped due to lack of funds.
• Numerous plants, some of which are trees, have sprung within the station.
• No roof currently exists on the station.
• It is now overshadowed by the expressway located at the frontage of Paco
Station.

ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTION IN PACO STATION

• Retain the façade to preserve the architectural integrity

• Changing over 70% of the ruins of Paco Station
• Adding skylightings for natural light and ventilation
• Adding more wall openings for passive cooling
• Repurposing into a museum and a train station
• Combining neoclassicism architecture and modern techniques
• Create an accessible and walkable community
• Strengthen building foundation
REFERENCES

[1] Asian Development Bank. (2020). (rep.). PHI: South Commuter Railway Project.

[2] Dungca, J. L. R., & Orbon, G. T. (2017, August 24). (thesis). The Philippine Railway
System. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/ThePhilippineRailwaySystem.pdf.

[3] Paco Railway Station. (2017, September 26). Retrieved from

https://spectralcodex.com/paco-railway-station/

[4] Rail Delivery Group. (2017). Regenerating Britain’s railway stations: six case studies
(thesis).