Buildings in

post world
war 2 era

QUIRINO GRANDSTAND

The Quirino Grandstand, formerly known as the Independence Grandstand, is a

grandstand located at Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines.
Contrary to popular belief, the first Independence Grandstand was not originally
located on the present site of the Quirino Grandstand but on the area close to
Dewey Boulevard right across the Rizal Monument and the flagpole. It was
completed in 1946 for the ceremony of the declaration of Philippine independence
from the United States on 4 July 1946. Juan Arellano designed the original
grandstand in the neoclassical design with ornate elements added to the structure
such as a triumphal arch at the top with two "wings" that shaded the main
galleries, a stage in the form of a ships bow with a carved figurehead of a maiden
representing freedom, and two other figures, representing a Filipino and a Filipina,
that stood about 10 meters tall behind the stage and the central gallery.[1]

The current grandstand[edit]

The grandstand was later demolished and a new one was built further away from
the old site towards near the breakwater and the Manila Bay where it stands to
this day. Designed by Federico Ilustre, supervising architect for the Bureau of
Public Works, the new Independence Grandstands design was patterned after the
Arellano-designed grandstand, (including the triumphal arch) with a simpler
design (without the ship bow stage and the statues) and some Art Deco influence
in the canopy compared to the original. The structure was completed in 1949, in
time for the inauguration of President Elpidio Quirino. Years later after his death,
the grandstand was renamed in his honor.[2]

 Quirino

Grandstand was expanded over the years to

accommodate more people, and the triumphal arch was
eventually gone. Work in the 1990s brought about a return to
the structures neoclassical roots with the addition of some
neoclassical elements in the expansion area.[1]

The

Quirino Grandstand has been the traditional venue for

annual Independence Day activities as well as that of many
Philippine presidential inaugurations since the 1949 Quirino
inaugural. In addition, the grandstand has also been a site for
many civic, religious, sporting, and political gatherings. It
served as the main venue of the World Youth Day 1995 closing
liturgy, the 2000 Millennium Celebrations in the country, the
2005 Southeast Asian Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies,
and the concluding mass of 2015 Pope Francis' visit to the
Philippines.

The

grandstand grounds was also the venue for the Quirino

Grandstand hostage crisis which strained relations between
Manila and Hong Kong for a time.

BATASANG PAMBANSA
COMPLEX

The Batasang Pambansa Complex is the headquarters

of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is
located at Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

The complex was initially the home of the Batasang

Pambansa, the former parliament of the Philippines
which was established as an interim assembly in 1978
and finally as an official body in 1984. Under the 1973
constitution, it replaced the bicameral Congress of the
Philippines established under the 1935
Commonwealth constitution.

When the bicameral Congress was restored in 1987,

the complex was set aside as the home of the House
of Representatives. The Main Building of the complex
is often referred to as the Batasang Pambansa.

Construction[edit]

Following the naming of Quezon City as the new capital city of

the Philippines in 1948, a cornerstone for a Capitol building
was laid on Constitution Hill, now Batasan Hills, in Quezon City
on October 22, 1949.[1] The location was part of a larger
National Government Center, which was meant to house the
three branches of the Philippine government (legislative,
executive, and judicial). In 1956, architect Federico S. Ilustre
laid out the master plan for the location, which was set aside
to be the new home of the Congress (made up of the Senate
and the House of Representatives). Ilustre had also designed
the buildings for the new legislative center. Public reception to
the building's design was lukewarm, so a newer design by the
National Planning Commission under architect Anselmo
Alquinto replaced the Ilustre-designed one. By 1963, however,
only the concrete foundations and steel frame were laid out.
Ultimately, due to lack of funding, the Capitol was never
completed. The uncompleted structure sat in the area for
more than a decade before being torn down.[2]

 During

the presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos, the plans

for a legislative complex were revived. By that time, the
1973 constitution had replaced the bicameral Congress
with the Batasang Pambansa, a unicameral parliament.
The new complex was accordingly designed to house
only one legislative body. Felipe M. Mendoza was
designated as the architect of the complex, and its
surrounding area.[3][4] The uncompleted structure for
the Capitol building was torn down to make way for the
new complex. The North and South Wing Buildings were
completed in December 1977. Meanwhile, the Main
Building itself finally opened on May 31, 1978.[5][6]
However, the rest of the intended government buildings
and public spaces around the complex were never built.

The

legislative body first convened at the Main Building

on June 12, 1978.[7]

PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION CENTER

 The

Philippine International Convention Center

(PICC) is the most modern convention center
the Philippines can offer to the world. Located
at the reclaimed area now known as the
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
Complex in Pasay City (a Manila suburb), this
state-of-the-art facility has been the host of
numerous local and foreign conventions,
meetings, fairs, and social events.

On

the presence of the PICC, Manila has always

been tagged as a "Convention City".

PICC

is also the home of the Office of the Vice

President of the Philippines.

Presidential Decree No. 520 authorized the Central Bank of the Philippines
(now Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) to construct an international conference
building, acquire a suitable area for that purpose, and organize a corporation
to manage a conference center. Thus, the PICC was organized under the
Corporation Code.

The construction of the state-of-the-art PICC Complex was undertaken in a

short span of 23 months, from November 1974 to September 1976, with
Leandro Locsin as architect, who was subsequently named a National Artist.

On September 5, 1976, the PICC, Asia's first international convention center

was officially opened to the world when it hosted the 1976 IMF-World Bank
Meeting.

Presidential Decree No. 995 created the Batasang Bayan to function as a

legislative body before the Interim Batasang Pambansa convened in 1978. So
on September 21, 1976 on the 4th Anniversary of the birth of the Bagong
Lipunan (New Society) the Batasang Bayan held its inauguration at the PICC.
For the first time, the PICC was used to house a legislative body from 1976 to
1978.

The PICC is dedicated to the task of bringing peoples and nations together and
providing a place where they can meet and exchange ideas that may perhaps
open doors to better world understanding and peace.

As a venue of meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and special events, it

caters to organizers of international, regional Asia Pacific, and local events
by providing highly advanced conferencing equipment and facilities and,
most importantly, friendly, efficient, and professional service.
Convention Features

35mm Slide projector, Amplifier, conference pads, pencils, pens. Equalizer,

flags, flipchart with white board, PA system, portable stage, SI equipment
booth, 8 m. x 6 m. projection screen, TV monitor, VHS player multi-system,
video camera - CCTV type, laser pointer, follow spotlight, lapel microphone,
stand microphone, table microphone, wireless microphone, and whiteboard.

The PICC's newly acquired conferencing equipment are AMX Integrated

Remote Control System on motorized lectern, Motorized lecterns with light
& clock timer, Visual Presenter (opaque and transparency projector), 67"
Video Data Rear Projection Monitor, Wireless Infrared Simultaneous
Interpretation (SI System), Portable Interpreters Booth, Slide to Video
Converter, Conference Microphone System with Chairman's microphone,
Voting and Audience Interaction System and Touch Screen Multi-media
Kiosk.

Support Facilities and Services

 Conference

& Exhibit Offices

Hospitality Center
Document Distribution Center
Registration Counter
Post Office
Technical Services
Commercial Bank
Foreign Exchange Counter
Assistance & Info Counter
Medical Clinic/Services
Lost & Found
Facilities or Disabled
Parking Space
Loading Ports
Dressing Room
Press Center

CULTURAL CENTER OF THE

PHILIPPINES (NATIONAL THEATRE)

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (Filipino: Sentrong Pangkultura

ng Pilipinas, or CCP) is a government owned and controlled
corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and
culture in the Philippines.[1][2] The CCP was established through
Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos.
Although an independent corporation of the Philippine government, it
receives an annual subsidy and is placed under the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts for purposes of policy
coordination.[1][3] The CCP is headed by an 11-member Board of
Trustees, currently headed by Chairperson Emily Abrera. Its current
president is Raul Sunico.

The CCP provides performance and exhibition venues for various local
and international productions at its eponymous 62-hectare (150-acre)
complex located in the Cities of Pasay and Manila. Its artistic
programs include the production of performances, festivals,
exhibitions, cultural research, outreach, preservation, and publication
of materials on Philippine art and culture. It holds its headquarters at
the Tanghalang Pambansa (English: National Theatre), a structure
designed by National Artist for Architecture, Leandro V. Locsin. Locsin
would later design many of the other buildings in the CCP Complex.[4]

Architecture[edit]

The faade of the National Theater is dominated by a two-storey travertine

block suspended 12 meters (39 ft) high by deep concave cantilevers on
three sides. The rest of the structure is clad in concrete, textured by
crushed seashells originally found on the reclamation site.[6] The building
is built on a massive podium, and entry is through a vehicular ramp in front
of the raised lobby and a pedestrian side entry on its northwest side. In
front of the faade and below the ramp, there is an octagonal reflecting
pool with fountains and underwater lights. On the main lobby, three large
Capiz-shell chandeliers hang from the third floor ceiling, each symbolizing
the three main geographical divisions of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. At the orchestra entrance, a brass sculpture, The Seven Arts by
Vicente Manansala welcomes the audience into the main theater. From the
pedestrian entrance, Arturo Luz's Black and White is displayed as
spectators enter the little theater or ascend to the main lobby through a
massive carpeted spiral staircase. Most of the interior is lit artificially, as
there are few windows, most of which are located along the sides of the
main lobby. Large areas on the upper floors are open to the ground floor
lobby, emphasizing the large chandeliers and fluid interior spaces on
northeast side of the building. Galleries and other rooms surround these
open areas, occupying the space created by the huge cantilevered block.
Whenever possible, the walls surrounding these rooms are used as
additional venues for displaying art works.

 Much

of the criticism of the building's

architecture is directed towards its vehicular
ramp. Since there are usually no valet services
or parking areas directly accessible from the
lobby entrance, the ramp's use is ideal only for
audience members who are chauffeur-driven; at
the expense of pedestrians, who may enter
through the side entrance or a narrow (and
potentially hazardous) pathway on the ramp.
[24][25] In defense of the design, Andy Locsin (a
partner of his father's firm) explained that the
decision of raising the whole structure on the
podium (and consequently, the addition of the
ramp) was in response to the high sea levels on
the reclaimed land, and was not intended to
promote an elitist view of art and culture.[8]

ARANETA COLISEUM

 The

Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome, is an

indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area
of Quezon City, Philippines. It is one of the largest coliseums
and indoor facilities in Asia, and it is also one of the largest
clear span domes in the world. The dome measures
approximately 108.0 meters making it the largest dome in
Asia from its opening in 1960 until 2001 when it was
surpassed by the Oita Stadium in Japan with a dome
measuring 274.0 meters. However on 2014, this record was
broke by the New Singapore National Stadium that has a
dome measuring 312.0 meters.

The

Smart Araneta Coliseum is mostly used for sports such as

basketball, it is the main venue of the Philippine Basketball
Association.[2] The Big Dome is also used for boxing,
cockfighting, local and international concerts, circuses,
religious gatherings, beauty pageants and more.[3] Other
basketball league tenants include the National Collegiate
Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of
the Philippines.

 In

1952, J. Amado Araneta, a member of the prestigious Araneta

dynasty, purchased a 35-hectare property in Cubao that is now the
Araneta Center from Radio Corporation of America (RCA). The
property, which includes the Araneta family home, is bound by
Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, Aurora Boulevard, P. Tuazon and 15th
Avenue.

Construction

of the Araneta Coliseum was started in 1957 and finished

in late 1959 by Arch. Dominador Lacson Lugtu and Engr. Leonardo
Onjunco Lugtu, Filipino Engineers graduated from Mapa Institute of
Technology . From 1960 to 1963, the Coliseum received international
recognition and was recognized as the largest covered coliseum in the
world. Today, it remains one of the largest clear span domes in the
world and the largest indoor facility in Asia with a dome diameter of
108 meters. It occupies a total land area of almost 40,000 square
meters and has a floor area of 23,000 square metres.[4]

The

coliseum opened on March 16, 1960, with Gabriel "Flash" Elorde

boxing for the World Junior Lightweight crown from American Harold
Gomes. General admission then was 80 centavos and the reserve
section was five pesos.

 Among

the notable events to take place at the arena were the

11th and 34th FAMAS Awards, the 1975 "Thrilla in Manila"
boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and
the annual Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant. The Philippine
Basketball Association (PBA) has played about a thousand
games at the Araneta Coliseum as of 2008. Other basketball
events hosted by the arena were the 1978 FIBA World
Championship, a game between the 1978 NBA champions
Washington Bullets and a PBA selection in 1979, and the 1982
Asian Youth Basketball Championship where the Philippines
defeated China in the final.[5]

In

1981, the original basketball scoreboard and shot clock was

replaced with a Seiko brand scoreboard that also displays the
milliseconds remaining in a basketball game. In 1983, the
basketball court's color scheme was changed from red to
yellow.

In

1995, the bulky basketball backboard which was used since

the 1970s was replaced with a Hydra-Rib backboard.

In the third quarter of 1998, the Aranetas and Pilipinas Shell

(local arm of Royal Dutch Shell) started negotiations for a
naming rights deal that would have lasted until 2008. The
Aranetas, who wanted to retain their name at the arena rejected
proposed name "Shell Coliseum at the Araneta Center". Instead,
the parties agreed on signage contract where Shell's name and
logo will be painted at the arena's basketball court, a move that
was almost shelved due to objections from other PBA teams
(Shell owned the Shell Turbo Chargers team then in the PBA).[6]

In July 1999, the coliseum underwent its first major renovation at

the cost of P200 million.[7] The coliseum was reopened on
November 20, the same year. The major changes made to the
coliseum is the renovation of the lower box area, replacement of
seats for the patron and lower box sections, and installation of a
four-sided center hung scoreboard. The section names were also
given numerical designations: 100 for Patron section, 200 for
Lower Box, 300 for Upper Box A and 400 for Upper Box B. In
2003, a LED display was added on the scoreboard.