Architectural Heritage? More fun in UP Diliman!

By: Angelina Limpin

As I recently found out, being a cross-registrant entails a lot of new experiences, acquiantances, not to mention sights to see. Being unfamiliar with the UP Diliman landscape, one time, I decided to go sight seeing around campus.  The moments that followed stuck with me – I was captivated by the splendor of Diliman’s vast architectural heritage.  A curiosity to learn more about these buildings has been with me ever since. 

So that was what prompted me to invite Hershe Gaela, a UP College of Architecture graduate from batch 2011, on a walking tour around the campus to find out what she thought were the top three buildings in UP Diliman.  Before we began, she told me that she will explaining the basic construction process, purpose, historical significance and innovativeness of each structure that she will be choosing as these will be the basis of her preferences.  With that, we began our sightseeing.

The “Bells of Diliman” known as Carillon is third on our list. She chose this for its stable foundation and system of vertical lines supporting the structure. The tower was built under the supervision of National Artist for Architecture Juan F. Nakpil, a UP alumnus. According to Nakpil himself, the Carillon should serve as an emotional and spiritual link between the students, faculty, and alumni of the succeeding generation. It is a landmark - a time-keeper marking the beginning and end of the day - and a memorial to the collective ideals of the U.P. Alumni, living or otherwise. He also added, “It will be a voice speaking to us from the midst of our campus – not from a distance.”

She then invited me to view two buildings that are on opposite sides of the academic oval. - the famous Palma Hall (College of Social Sciences and Philosophy) known today as the “AS” and the Melchor Hall (College of Engineering).  These two landed on the second spot of our list.  Gaela explained to me that if you remove the foliage in between those two structures, you will realize that they are mirror-images of one another, specifically designed to be similar in structure and volume. Both of them follow an asymmetrical design and is sectioned into two wings divided by a central lobby. Both were conceptualized by the first campus architect, Cesar Homero Rosales Concio. These two were among the the first four buildings built in the UP Diliman campus.

Gaela explains that she is particularly fond of these buildings’ long, horizontal form incorporated with Filipino elements. The standards of the mid-twentieth century architecture of Europe and the United States were also in their design. According to Gaela, this is why the doors in these buildings are larger than the usual door size used in other UP buildings – the average height and built of Caucasians are more than that of Filipinos. The wooden floors in some rooms help control temperature as they absorb less heat than concrete. This, combined with its well-ventilated design,provides comfortable spaces for students who frequent these colleges.

Finally, Gaela asked me if I have ever seen a UFO around campus.  When I said no, she asked me if I wanted to see one.  Of course, I said that I did.  She then lead me to a place near the Shopping Center where I did see a structure that resembled a flying saucer.  According to her, that building – the unconventional yet captivating Church of the Holy Sacrifice - was on the top of our list.  It was the first circular church (with the altar in its center) with a thin-shelled concrete dome ever to be built in the Philippines. The dome of the church is supported by pillars located at the sides of the church. There are no other supports that would otherwise block the view of the space inside - one can actually see the entirety of its interior from any point in it. Its unique design allows for natural lighting and ventilation to flow from the surrounding gardens outside.

The group that made this structure a reality was nothing short of an artistic dream team.  Its design and layout was done by the late National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Locsin. The religious paintings and sculptures that fill the interior of the church were done by several well known national artists.  The floor which is known as the “River of Life” was designed by Arturo Luz; the Stations of the Cross Murals by Vicente Manansala; while Napoleon Abueva made the “Ang Kukok” – the double-sided crucifix altar base. Its rich architectural and artistic background earned the Church of the Holy Sacrifice recognition as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Museum and National Historical Institute respectively. NHI chairman Ambeth R. Ocampo lauded the church as a “masterpiece of Filipino artistry and ingenuity.” At that point, I was more than happy to agree with Gaela that the church should be number on on our list of architecturally supreme buildings in UP Diliman.

As our walking tour came to an end, I turn to Ms. Gaela and told her about an epiphany I had during our campus exploration. Students in UP Diliman are very lucky as they are surrounded by monumental works of art every day - buildings that do not only serve a practical purpose but also serve as a testament to UP’s historical past and a bold predictionof its bright future.  However, most of us never really look at these buildings to consider anything beyond the classes that we need to attend in each of them.    As a cross-registered student who found a new sense of appreciation for Diliman’s buildings, I humbly suggest that next time you are  riding a jeepney or walking around campus, try to look around you. As renowned writer and scholar Jose Dalisay Jr. once said about the Carillon, “ It is something to remind us that some things never change - love, honor, idealism, the joy and the challenge of learning beneath the broad canopy of a university life." This I think, is not just for a specific structure, but for the relevance of the UP architecture as a whole.