Manila landmarks of the ’20s

This week brings us back another decade in our series on Manila landmarks. Last week, we were in the 1930s. As we continue with our showcase of buildings and places in the metropolis, this week we look at landmarks of the Roaring ’20s.

The city had grown by leaps and bounds in the two decades since the Americans took over. The scars of the Spanish-American-Filipino war had healed, business was booming and numerous edifices were being put up to accommodate this expanded commercial activity.

Social and religious events also took on a more cosmopolitan flavor. Sprouting up were theaters, country clubs, shops, bigger churches (especially Protestant churches to cater to the colonial administrators). These new constructions were designed in Art Nouveau, Neo-Classic and Art Deco styles – all elegant in proportions and relating well within an urban context. Here is a selection of key architecture and places from that decade:

Casino Español de Manila. Despite the turnover of the islands to the Americans, the Spaniards still had a continuing presence in the Philippines. Spanish businesses kept links that blossomed in the early decades of the 20th century. The local Spanish expats maintained a close and active social circle that met regularly at the Casino Español (the British, Germans, and Americans all had their own clubs). Located on a prime site on Taft Avenue, a few blocks down from the Philippine Normal School, the Casino (not really a gambling establishment, but that is how clubs then were called) was a lovely Neo-Classic structure with an arcaded façade. It was designed by Juan Arellano and completed in 1916. Sadly, it was heavily damaged in the war. The present Casino was rebuilt in the 1960s in Neo-Baroque style on San Luis Street not too far away. The architect was Gonzalo C. Balagtas with interiors by Pilar de Zaragoza.

The Ateneo Municipal de Manila. Though a holdover from the Spanish period, the Ateneo was the first choice for many when it came to giving a young man education (girls had to wait another 60 years to become Blue Eagles). The huge complex expanded to accommodate a growing student population. The American Jesuits had done such a great job at pushing education (taught strictly in English) that the school had to expand beyond the walls of the Intramuros by the 1920s. The Padre Faura extensions notwithstanding, the main school was a landmark visible from the South harbor and from the airy rooms of the Manila Hotel. The Intramuros campus was destroyed in the war and Loyola Heights beckoned as a new roost.

Protestant churches. With the Americans came other forms of Christianity and a new wave of missionaries. In Manila, these Protestant sects built their main churches and Sunday social life revolved around these. The Union and Central Churches were located in the American residential districts of Ermita and Malate while the Presbyterian Church was in Tondo. Few of these churches survived the war.

The Episcopalian Church. This was the biggest Protestant church in Manila before the war. The imposing structure stood on Isaac Peral where the Manila Pavilion Hotel (formerly the Manila Hilton) now stands. It was lost, too, in the war.

The Philippine Normal School. Another landmark on Taft Avenue was the Philippine Normal School. Designed by William E. Parsons, the school is one of the best examples of American colonial architecture in reinforced concrete. Parsons designed buildings in a simplified Neoclassicism that incorporated tropical interventions like cross-ventilation, the use of capiz windows, and wide overhangs. Damaged in the war, the complex was rebuilt and is in continuing use today, a testimony to the original design’s robustness.

YMCA. Another Parsons design is the YMCA for the military men. Located in Intramuros, the solid structure was meant to service those who were assigned to Fort Santiago, the headquarters of the US Army. The civilian YMCA was built behind the Manila City Hall.

Manila City Hall (original). The original Manila City Hall was a rambling structure made of Oregon pine. It sat on the same site as today’s structure and lasted till the late 1930s when an Antonio Toledo-designed structure replaced it.

Plaza Goiti. Among the landmarks of the city were plazas and gardens. The busiest plaza was Plaza Goiti. The plaza had the busiest tranvia station and was a crossroads to bet to Santa Cruz, Tondo, and areas beyond through the Avenida Rizal nearby. The plaza was formed by the back of the Santa Cruz Church and various commercial buildings. The plaza today is a revived pedestrian paradise named in memory of Mayor Arsenio Lacson.

Plaza Lawton. The newest plaza in American Manila was Plaza Lawton, named after the American general whose claim to fame was the capture of the famous American Indian chief Geronimo. Ironically, Lawton was killed in the Filipino-American war by our own General Geronimo.

Mehan Gardens. Finally, we have the Mehan Gardens. Formerly the Jardin Botanico of the Spanish period, the garden was resurrected by the Americans under the supervision of John C. Mehan, who was in charge of sanitation and cemeteries. It was the place of choice for weekend outings with its mini-zoo, decorative ponds, and diverse flora. One wishes it could be revived and made more useful for urban-weary Manilans.

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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com. Next week, the turn of the century landmarks of Manila.