Leandro V.LOCSIN

Name Leandro V. LOCSIN

Country・Region Philippines

Category Arts and Culture

Title Architect

Area of Expertise Art

Award Category Arts and Culture Prize

Award Year 1992

Mr. Leandro V. Locsin is a celebrated architect of the

Philippines. He designed numerous modern building, which

adopt climatic features of Southeast Asia and the traditional

style of the Philippines. His accomplishment contributed

remarkable to the development of architectural culture in

Asia.

Mr. Leandro V. Locsin is a distinguished architect in the Philippines who has blended modern architecture harmoniously into the climate of Southeast Asia.

The Philippines has high temperature and high humidity; it is located in a volcanic zone and is thus vulnerable to earthquakes. As a result, durability and ventilation are necessities in Filipino architecture. Large roofs, long eaves and high ceilings are typical characteristics of traditional Filipino architecture.

Mr. Locsin's works beautifully incorporate such traditional qualities with the openness and vastness of modern architecture. His unique interpretation of architectural features such as lattice and curved lines are eloquently expressed in his modern, Western form of art. What lies behind this originality is his principle: to synthesize or to blend Western and Eastern culture. Without this theme, the modern architecture of the West could not have taken root within the existing Filipino architecture.

His private life is characterized by continued commitment to other arts and culture. He is a fine pianist, a deeply committed admirer of oriental art and the visual and performing arts. When his multi-faceted artistic talent is fully exhibited in architecture, its details display a well-calculated beauty of form, and its appearance reshapes the urban landscape.

His architecture enjoys broad recognition and he has garnered many honors and awards. The Filipino architects of the early 20th century were trained in Europe and the United States, and since then almost every Filipino architect of note has taken undergraduate or graduate studies abroad. Mr. Locsin, however, has pursued his studies within the Philippines, and has acquired his formal education from the University of Santo Tomas. His phenomenal career is not only

evidence of a natural wealth of talent, but also a tribute to his Filipino mentors and to Filipino culture which in its colorful variety has been a cradle of genius.

As such, Mr. Locsin's achievements have contributed immensely to the advancement and recognition of Asian architectural culture. Therefore, he is surely worthy of the Arts and Culture Prize of the Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prizes.

http://www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/fu-a/en/culture_prizes/detail/19.html

LOCSIN: THE MODERN FORM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Cultural Center of the

Philippines, with its Christmas decorations 

ESPAÑOL

Leandro V. Locsin (1928-1994) was the most important modern

architect of the Philippines, the equivalent in that country of

whatKenzo Tange was in Japan. Aside of being an architect,

Locsin was an interior designer, artist and musician, and in 1990

was entitled as National Artist of the Philippines by the recently

defunct President Corazon Aquino, in addition to receiving the

Asian Culture Award in Fukuoka.

I could only visit little of his extensive work, but I was impressed

by his skill in the use of concrete and the cleanliness and strength

of the volumes, which appear to be levitating while, at the same

time, providing a sense of massiveness and lightness to his

buildings. Many more advanced studies, however, have analyzed

the important link between the work of Locsin and the traditional

Filipino architecture.

Benedictine Monastery of the

Transfiguration. Malaybalay, Bukidnon, posthumous building, 1996. 

In this entry will present two of his most representative works.

CHURCH OF THE HOLY SACRIFICE

Locsin's first work in 1955, was a church (ironically, his last work

was also a chapel, located in Malaybalay shown above), the

church of the Holy Sacrifice, at the University of the Philippines,

Manila (although originally designed for the Victorias Milling Co. in

Negros Occidental,  Locsin's home town).

Church of the Holy Sacrifice. See location in Google Maps.

It is a circular church, the first of its kind in the Philippines. The

altar is in the middle of the floor, an idea which Locsin corrected in

later churches, since it was not very appropriate to the rite of the

Catholic mass.

Graphics courtesy of Caryn

Paredes-Santillan 

The main feature in the church is a large concrete dome, located

on transparent walls and supported on pillars on the sides of the

church, that people have dubbed the "flying saucer", somehow

emphasizing the lightness of the form.

Some researchers have emphasized the parallel between this

conception and the pre Hispanic architecture in the Philippines,

especially in the bahay kubo, houses with sloping thatched roofs

and light walls erected on wooden poles.

The dome is slightly separated from the inclined columns,

emphasizing the sensation of floating and allowing more light to

interior, which is complemented by a circular skylight at the top of

the dome.

The architect Caryn Paredes-Santillan, presented at the II

International Conference on Architecture and Phenomenology, a

study of the manifestations of liminality in the churches of Locsin.

Liminality is a concept used in semiotics to define an intermediate

state between two areas, often characterized by its ambiguity and

its complementarity with two spaces.

Paredes-Santillan distinguishes in her analysis of several

churches by Locsin, three types of space: the primary spaces

(main functions of the building, like the altar), secondary spaces

(auxiliary areas, such as the  baptistery, choir, confessional) and

liminal spaces, connecting these two kinds, which are

"psychological barriers that delineate the different degrees of

integration within a space and serve as a rite of passage between

the exterior and interior."

To this end Locsin uses some techniques as surrounding a space

by another space, the separation of the roofs and the use of light.

Paving designed by Arturo Luz

Aside of Locsin, the design of the church had the assistance of

other leading professionals, the floor was designed by Arturo Luz,

the Stations of the Cross by Vicente Manansala and Ang Kiukok,

and the double crucifix and the base of the altar by Napoleon

Abueva, all now recognized as National Artists.

Altar and double

crucufix (showing Jesus died and rose) designed by Napoleon Abueva

CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

The CCP or Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas is the most

recognized work by Locsin, completed in 1969 during the

government of Ferdinand Marcos. In fact, his work focused mainly

on the Performing Arts Theatre.

Old view of Manila Bay, with

the CCP at the background.

The CCP is located on the waterfront, in an area of 77

hectares reclaimed to Manila Bay. During my visit a project to

recover the riverfront was undertaken, which had been

abandoned for decades and was being converted into an

interesting center of social exchange. The CCP is the starting

point of this long boulevard.

The idea was to make this complex the artistic Mecca of Asia, and

for that purpose it houses four theaters, a museum of

ethnography, galleries and a library of art and culture.

The main theater is comprised of a huge concrete block covered

in marble that forms the facade of the building and protrudes 12

meters thanks to the powerful arched columns that give the

impression that this block is floating.

The building is accessed from two ramps which converge at the

center of the facade, an idea that has been used by Locsin in

some of his works.

Fountains were placed in front of the block, which allows an

interesting perception of the building at night.

Gerard Lico, in his book "Power, Myth and Marcos State

Architecture" has criticized the monumentality of this complex as

a waste, whose primary purpose was to serve as propaganda and

demonstrate the power of the dictator. Similarly, many  Latin

American dictatorships at that time, also chose grandiose works

to signify their power and the vision of the nation, so that Marcos

probably used this monument as a mask to hide the corruption

problems that afflicted its mandate.

While many people worship him in Ilocos Norte (I had the

opportunity to see his embalmed body, but he looked to me  like a

wax statue), but there are many others who blame the huge

external debt that his government left, as well as his

many eccentricities that Filipinos still have to pay. After all, after

the war, the U.S. plan was to turn the Philippines into Asia's new

leader, instead of Japan. What happened?

Interior of the building. Detail

of the ceiling, courtesy of elzhear 

http://architecturalmoleskine.blogspot.com/2012/01/locsin-modern-form-in-philippines.html

]

LEANDRO V. LOCSIN PARTNERS is the current

incarnation of an unbroken and continuing

architectural practice founded in 1955 by Leandro

V. Locsin (+), Philippine National Artist for

Architecture. The firm is credited with having

helped shape Manila’s skyline and architectural

landscapes. One of its earliest commissions, a

high rise apartment building on Ayala Avenue, set

the architectural idiom for subsequent buildings

on what was then the frontier of urban

development and what has become Manila’s

premiere business district.

The firm’s influence goes well beyond Ayala

Avenue. From its drawing boards have sprung

notable work such as  the Chapel of the Holy

Sacrifice at the University of the Philippines, the

Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, the

1970 Philippine Pavilion in Osaka, the Philippine

International Convention Center, the Manila Hotel

Redevelopment, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the

Manila International Airport, The first Citibank

Building, the Makati and Philippine Stock

Exchanges, the Anvaya Cove Resort Community,

and the Ayala Museum (old and new).

Since 1955 the firm has designed over 33  public

buildings, 75 commercial buildings, 6 hotels, 13

churches, several country clubs and museums,

and more than 100 residences in the country's

most exclusive communities.

The firm's most comprehensive project to date is

the New Istana Nurul Iman State Palace and Seat

of Government for the Sultan of Brunei in Bandar

Seri Begawan. Encompassing a total floor area of

approximately 200,000 square meters, the palace

has the distinction of being the world's largest

presidential residence.

With a staff that includes 40 dedicated architects

and designers, the firm continues to immerse

itself in the design traditions of the Philippines

and Asia along with key developments in design

theory, sustainability, and contemporary

technology. The reconciliation of these aspects -

vernacular contexts and western processes - is

strongly reflected in the firm’s work.

http://www.locsinarchitecture.com/history/

Leandro Locsin: Philippine National Artist for Architecture

by Ida Beltran-Lucila

One of  Manila’s notable  landmark is the CCP  Complex. Built on  reclaimed  land, it holds the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Philippine   Center   for   International  Trade   and   Exhibition (PHILCITE),   and   the Sofitel Philippine Plaza – all designed by Leandro Locsin, making it a virtual Locsin complex.

Leandro V. Locsin (1928-1994) is the 3rd Philippine National Artist for Architecture (1990), after Juan Nakpil (1973) and Pablo Antonio (1976). Most Filipino architects of his time were trained in Europe and the United States, or have taken undergraduate or graduate studies abroad. He, on the other hand, pursued his studies solely  within the Philippines.  A talented pianist, Locsin enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory  of Music to pursue a career in music.  A year before graduating, he shifted to the School  of Architecture in the same university. While pursuing  his architectural  studies, he  worked  as an  artist-draftsman  at the Ayala Corporation. He graduated in 1953  but before  establishing his practice, he designed stage  sets for  ballets. Later on, he would design for the esteemed dance pioneer, Martha Graham.

In 1955, Locsin was commissioned by  the Catholic Chaplain of the University  of the Philippines, Diliman, to design a chapel that is open and with a capacity of 1,000 people. The Church of the Holy  Sacrifice, the first round chapel in the Phils. with the altar in the centre, and the first to have a   thin   shell   concrete   dome,   is   now a   landmark   not   only in   the   university,  but is a declared National Cultural Treasure by  the National Museum  and a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute.

A visit to the United States marked encounters with architects Paul Rudolph, known for his use of concrete and  highly  complex floor  plans, and  Eero Saarinen,  famous for  simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism  style.  These two would have the greatest influence on Locsin, as evidenced by his succeeding works.

Locsin’s designs are marked by  his distinct use of concrete, themes of floating volume, the use of native materials, the roof emphasized as the dominant form, wide   overhanging eaves, massive supports, interior lattices and trellises, ornamental  detail contasted with simple forms, and  spacious interiors. His peers have described him  as the “Poet of Space” for  the  way he articulated space using straightforward geometry.

Up to the time of his death, his body  of works include 75 residences and 88 buildings, including 11 churches/chapels,   23   public   buildings,   48   commercial   buildings,   six   major   hotels,   and   an airport   terminal   building.   Aside   from   the   five   structures at the CCP complex, other notable works are: the Philippine pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan (1970); the original Ayala Museum  (1974); some 

buildings at the University of the Phils.,  Los Banos; Ninoy  Aquino International   Airport; and the Church of the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Locsin placed  the  Philippines on  the world map in  1969  with  his most recognizable work, the Cultural Center of the Philippines – with its gentle sloping curves giving way  to an enormous box and  a large lagoon  in front,  thus creating  the  impression of suspension. But his largest  and most spectacular  work is the  Istana  Nurul  Iman  (Palace of  Religious Light), the palace of  the Sultan   of   Brunei. The palace has a total floor area of 200,000 sqm, a grand reception hall accommodating 5,000, a throne room  with a capacity  of 2,000, and two mosques crowned by a dome plated with 22-carat gold. Malayan and Islamic   motifs, modern   lines, and  the latest building technology blend in what has been hailed as the new Versailles.

In 1959, Leandro Locsin was one of the recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardees for  Architecture  and in 1992, the Fukuoka Asian  Culture  Prize.  His citation for  the Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize states:  Mr. Locsin’s works beautifully incorporate such traditional qualities with  the  openness and  vastness of modern architecture. His unique  interpretation  of architectural  features such as lattice and curved lines are eloquently expressed in his modern, Western form of  art. What lies behind this originality is his principle: to synthesize  or to blend Western and Eastern culture. Without this theme, the modern architecture of the West could not have   taken   root   within   the   existing   Filipino   architecture…  His private   life   is   characterized   by continued commitment to other arts and culture. He is a fine pianist, a deeply committed admirer of oriental  art and the visual and performing  arts. When his multi-faceted artistic talent is fully exhibited in architecture, its details display a well-calculated beauty of form, and its appearance reshapes the urban landscape… His phenomenal career is not only evidence of a natural wealth of   talent,   but   also a tribute   to his Filipino   mentors and to Filipino   culture   which in   its colorful variety has been a cradle of genius.

Indeed, significant and symbolic words for a Philippine National Artist – hailed both for advancing our culture and for leaving an astute and creative legacy.

http://pinoytimes.ca/2012/02/health-and-lifestyle/leandro-locsin-philippine-national-artist-for-architecture/

He, more than any of his contemporaries, put the Philippines on the world stage, especially when his CCP Main Building opened in 1969.His peers have described him as the “Poet of Space” for the way he articulated space using straightforward geometry.

I think that, next to Frank Lloyd Wright, he is the master of the cantilever. When I first saw his CCP Performing Arts Theater, I was astonished by how the mass of the building seemed to float above its podium.

I also like how he combined the male and female principles in his architecture. The CCP Main Building’s podium’s gentle sloping curves give way to an enormous box, and the interior is an amazing interplay between the sexes; soft versus hard:

In many ways, I consider Locsin to be a kindred spirit of Oscar Niemeyer, who put Brazil on the world map with his organic, sensuous forms.From 1955 to 1994, Locsin designed seventy-five residences and eighty-eight public buildings, plus a palace for the Sultan of Brunei. Yet, he remains an unknown, especially in the country of his birth.

My Cultural Center of the Philippines Suite is a tribute to his legacy. I just wish I could find out more about his relationship with the First Lady, Imelda Marcos. What I would have given to be a fly on the wall back in 1960s Manila.

https://designkultur.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/cultural-center-of-the-philippines-architect-leandro-v-locsin-%E2%80%9Cthe-poet-of-space%E2%80%9D/