Tsuper, Vol. 1: The Passion of Manila

2011-08-16T20:41:00.001-07:00

Reverse Entropy

2011-08-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Link

A Response to Francsico Sionil Jose

2011-02-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

Link: Lindy Locsin – A Contrary View by F. Sionil José

I find it hard to dismiss this article by Francisco Sionil José for two reasons: firstly because I didn’t expect that article to come from a man of his stature; and secondly because the examples he presented contrast with what I know and how I experienced the architecture of Leandro Locsin.

In addition to the social dimension of architecture, there is also the artistic dimension and this is where every architect greatly differs from each other. Every architect has a calling. No one can impose that all architects who have “made it” should design for low-cost housing, although I acknowledge that it is an important aspect in nation-building. It is more promising though if more architects should engage in such altruism, regardless whether or not they’ve made it. Leandro Locsin is indeed an elite, but I would argue that his architecture is definitely not elitist.
The idea that the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is a fascist building is one that disturbs me. The ramp that leads to the main entrance was not the original intention. The building’s ground floor level was supposedly just slightly above street level with almost half of the structure to be buried below grade. But when the engineers analyzed the site, they found out that the soil characteristics of the reclamation land prohibit them from digging deep; hence, Locsin lifted the building up and created the ramp. Today, the ramp is used by the people in many ways. On the weekends that I went there, I saw people jogging over the ramp and around the complex, youngsters skateboarding on the slope, lovers taking advantage of the ledge, and several families enjoying the grounds. I’ve had the chance to see the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) play in the main theater. On several occasions, the ramp was indeed dominated by cars. But on other events, like last year’s Pasinaya Festival which also featured the PPO, the whole building—the ramp included—was packed with people.

The image of the building is not a gesture of fascism; it is a gesture by the earth. The consequential ramp is not a gesture of elitism, it is an artistic expression that caters to both man and machine.

Locsin is a product of his time. His architecture is largely inspired by the Brutalist movement of the mid-1900s. The legacy of Brutalism (despite the seemingly negative connotation of the word) lies in the surface of its architecture which reflects the image of the human hands that collectively built it. The CCP, the Folk Arts Theatre, and the Philippine International Convention Center exemplifies this ideology. My personal favorite is the Convention Center. More than its rough concrete surface, it is the volumes in this building that moved me. I could barely comprehend the feeling. On one afternoon that I went there, I entered the main lobby and began wandering through the spaces within, always amazed, and endlessly questioning how he was able to conceive of such architecture. That same afternoon, light and shadow perfectly sculpted one particular balcony. That was the moment that I understood why he is the “Poet of Space”.

I could not speak of the architecture of the Manila Domestic Airport as I have yet to go there. But I am hoping that there is more to it than the simplistic description of Mr. José. What I am certain now is that you cannot isolate a single work of an architect and label him or his architecture base solely on that work. If you look at all the works of Locsin, they span from large commercial buildings to humble structures of contemplation. Perhaps the greatest antitheses to Mr. José’s view are two modest churches. The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice is the first building Locsin designed. Located in the Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, it has an open plan, a circular lay-out, and a pioneering construction method. By and large, the church is a symbol of freedom. Freedom from pre-conceived notions of religious architecture; freedom from the tight budget allocated to it; and freedom of going there regardless of social status. It is the most populist church that I have ever been in.

The Monastery of Transfiguration, on the otherhand, is the last building Locsin designed. Coincidentally, it is also a church and is as open as the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice. It is situated on a hill in the small barangay of San Jose, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. The small haven caters to the religious needs of some of the remote population in the country. If there is one thing I could get from this, it is the idea that Locsin is open to any type of client at any place. That attitude offered Filipinos, whether they are in the center of Manila or in far Mindanao, several works of art of a National Artist.

The architecture of Locsin did not alienate Filipinos from their own culture. On the contrary, it brought them nearer to it. And it is from the arguments above that I don’t think Leandro Locsin is overrated. In fact, I believe he is underrated. The people in the architecture profession may know several of the buildings he designed but only a handful are competently knowledgeable of its fundamental details. His architecture is deep, distinctive and complex. By far, I regard Leandro Locsin as the best Filipino architect to have lived whose works exemplifies the best of Filipino modern architecture.

Paul Blasco

Tsuper, Vol. 1: The Passion of Manila

Reverse Entropy

A Response to Francsico Sionil Jose