BIOGRAPHY

BIOGRAPHY Leandro Valencia Locsin (August 15, 1928 – November 15, 1994) was a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of modern painting and Chinese ceramics. He was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture in 1990 by the late President Corazon C. Aquino. He was born Leandro Valencia Locsin on August 15, 1928, in Silay, Negros Occidental, a grandson of the first governor of the province. He completed his elementary education De La Salle College in Manila before returning to Negros due to the Second World War. He then returned to Manila to finish his secondary education in La Salle and proceeded in taking up Pre-Law before shifting to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Music at the University of Santo Tomas. Although he was a talented pianist, he later shifted again to Architecture, just a year before graduating. He married Cecilia Yulo, and one of their two children is also an architect. An art lover, he frequented the Philippine Art Gallery, where he met the curator, Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo. The latter recommended Locsin to the Ossorio family that was planning to build a chapel in Negros. When Frederic Ossorio left for the United States, the plans for the chapel were canceled. However, in 1955, Fr. John Delaney, S.J., then Catholic Chaplain at the University of the Philippines - Diliman, commissioned Locsin to design a chapel that is open and can easily accommodate 1,000 people. The Church of the Holy Sacrifice is the first round chapel in the Philippines to have an altar in the middle, and the first to have a thin shell concrete dome. The floor of the church was designed by Arturo Luz, the stations of the cross by Vicente Manansala and Ang Kiukok, and the cross by Napoleon Abueva, all of whom are now National Artists. Alfredo L. Juinio served as the building's structural engineer. Today, the church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum, respectively. On his visit to the United States, he met some of his influences, Paul Rudolph and Eero Saarinen. It was then he realized to use concrete, which was relatively cheap in the Philippines and easy to form, for his buildings. In 1969, he completed what was to be his most recognizable work, the Theater of Performing Arts (Now the Tanghalang Pambansa) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The marblefaçade of the building is cantilevered 12 meters from the terrace by huge arching columns at the sides of the building, giving it the impression of being afloat. A large lagoon in front of the theatre mirrors the building during daytime, while fountains are illuminated by underwater lights at nighttime. The building houses four theaters, a museum of ethnographic art and other temporary exhibits, galleries, and a library on Philippine art and culture. In 1974, Locsin designed the Folk Arts Theater, which is one of the largest single-span buildings in the Philippines with a span of 60 meters. It was completed in only seventy-seven days, in time for the Miss Universe Pageant. Locsin was also commissioned to build the Philippine International Convention Center, the country's premiere international conference building and now the seat of the Vice Presidency. He was also commissioned in 1974 to design the Ayala Museum to house the Ayala art collection.[1] It was known for the juxtaposition of huge blocks to facilitate the interior of the exhibition. Locsin was a close friend of the Ayalas. Before taking the board examination, he took his apprenticeship at Ayala and Company (Now the Ayala Corporation) and was even asked to design the first building in Ayala Avenue, and several of their residences. When the collection of the Ayala Museum was moved to its current location, the original was demolished with Locsin's permission. The current building was dedicated in 2004, and was designed by the L. V. Locsin and Partners, led by Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr. Locsin also designed some of the buildings at the UP Los Baños campus. The Dioscoro Umali Hall, the main auditorium, is clearly an example of his distinct architecture, with its large canopy that makes it resemble the main theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Most of his work is concentrated on the Freedom Park, with the Student Union Building which was once damaged by a fire, the Carillon, the Continuing Education Center and the auditorium. He also designed the SEARCA Residences, and several structures at the National Arts Center (housing the Philippine High School for the Arts) at Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna. Most of Locsin's work has been within the country, but in 1970, he designed the Philippine Pavilion of the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. His largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei. In 1992, he received the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize from Fukuoka. Locsin's last work was also a church in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Locsin died early morning on November 15, 1994, at the Makati Medical Center in Makati after suffering from stroke ten days earlier.[2] The campus of De La Salle-Canlubang, built in 2003 on a land donated by his family, was named after him. Works Churches Church of the Holy Sacrifice, University of the Philippines, Diliman, 1955[3] Ozamis City Cathedral, 1960 Manila Memorial Park Chapel, Paranaque, 1965 (renovated in 1990, 1995, 2000 & 2010) Doña Corazon L. Montelibano Chapel, University of St. La Salle, Bacolod, 1965 Church of Saint Andrew,[4] Bel-Air Village, Makati, 1968 Holy Cross Memorial Chapel, Novaliches, 1969 Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, UP Village, Quezon City, 1970 Chapel of St. Alphonsus Ligouri,[5] Magallanes Village, Makati, 1970 (destroyed by fire in 2004, now replaced and rebuilt by Arch. Dominic Galicia in 2007.) Cadiz Church, Negros Occidental, 1972 St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church, Bacnotan, La Union, 1994 Church of the Monastery of the Transfiguration,[6] Malaybalay, Bukidnon, 1996 Public Buildings Davao International Airport passenger terminal until 2003 Renovation of the Old Manila International Airport Terminal, Phase 1, Pasay, 1972 (site is now occupied by NAIA Terminal 2) Design Center of the Philippines, CCP Complex, Manila, 1974 SEARCA Dormitory, U.P. Los Baños, Laguna, 1974 Fast Food Center, CCP Complex, 1976 (renovated in 1996, 2006 & 2011) Folk Arts Theater, CCP Complex, 1976 (now occupied by Day By Day Christian Fellowship in 2005) Philippine Center for International Trade and Exhibitions, CCP Complex, Manila, 1976 (now demolished in 1995, replaced by an amusement park) Davao International Airport Terminal Building, Davao City, 1980[7] Rizal Park Amphitheater (1981) Girl Scouts of the Philippines Headquarters, Manila, 1993 Original Ayala Museum[8] (Demolished, now replaced a new bigger museum and designed by his son, Arch. Leandro "Andy" Locsin, Jr. in 2004) Complex of Social Welfare Agencies Population Center Nutrition Center of the Philippines Asian Center for Training and Research for Social Welfare Cultural Center of the Philippines - Folk Arts Theater[9] National Arts Center,[10] Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna Cultural Center of the Philippines - Philippine Center for International Trade and Exhibitions Cultural Center of the Philippines - Philippine International Convention Center[11] Cultural Center of the Philippines - Theatre of Performing Arts[12] Expo '70 - Philippine Pavilion Citibank Makati Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei Darussalam Makati Stock Exchange Building[13] Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 U.P. Diliman - UP Film Institute U.P. Los Baños - Rizal Memorial Centenary Carillon U.P. Los Baños - Continuing Education Center U.P. Los Baños - Dioscoro L. Umali Hall U.P. Los Baños - Main Library U.P. Los Baños - SEARCA Dormitory and Hotel U.P. Los Baños - Student Union Building U.P. Los Baños - Men's Residence Hall Hotels Davao Insular Hotel, Davao City, 1960 (now renamed as Waterfront Insular Hotel) InterContinental Manila, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1969 (closed on December 31, 2015 [Hotel site redevelopment is being studied with Locsin's firm L. V. Locsin and Partners according to Ayala Land]) Hyatt Regency Hotel (now occupied by Midas Hotel & Casino Manila in 2011) Mandarin Oriental Manila[14] (closed on September 9, 2014 [Hotel site redevelopment is being studied with Locsin's firm L. V. Locsin and Partners according to Ayala Land]) Manila Hotel (New Building) [15] Philippine Plaza Hotel,[16] 1976 (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel) Commercial Buildings Ayala Building 1, Ayala Ave, Makati, 1958 Filipinas Life Assurance Company Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1958 Commercial Credit Corporation Building, Buendia Avenue, Makati, 1962 Integrated Realty Building, Buendia Avenue, Makati, 1962 Philamlife Company Building, Cagayan de Oro, 1963 Sarmiento Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1965 American International Underwriters Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1965 Sikatuna Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1966 J.M. Tuason Building, Ayala Ave, Makati, 1966 Locsin Building, EDSA, Makati, 1966 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Iloilo City, 1969 Philippine Bank of Commerce, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1969 Magnolia Dairy Products Plant, Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City, 1969 Amalgamated Building, Makati, 1969 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Mandaue, Cebu, 1969 Union Carbide Philippines, Mandaue, Cebu, 1970 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Naga, 1970 Filipinas life Assurance Co. Building, Cagayan de Oro, 1971 Filipinas Life Executive Center, Mandaue, 1971 Romago Building, Mandaluyong, 1971 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Batangas City, 1971 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Dagupan, 1971 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building Annex, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1972 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Davao City, 1972 Asian Reinsurance Pool Building, Legaspi Village, Makati, 1972 Philippine Commercial & Industrial Bank Building, Greenhills, Mandaluyong, 1972 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Tacloban, 1976 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. Building, Cabanatuan, 1976 EEI building, Pasig, Metro Manila, 1978 Canlubang Golf & Country Club, Canlubang, Laguna, 1978 Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig, Metro Manila, 1978 Philippine Commercial & Industrial Bank Building, Batangas City, 1978 Canlubang Sports Complex, Canlubang, Laguna, 1979 PLDT Building (Ramon Cojuangco Building), Makati Avenue, Makati, 1982 Greenbelt Square Cinema, Paseo de Roxas, Makati, 1982 (now renovated in 2002 and now renamed s Greenbelt 1 Ayala Center) Philippine Commercial & Industrial Bank Tower 1; Philippine Commercial International Bank (PCIBank), Makati Avenue cor H.V. Dela Costa, Makati, 1983 (now BDO Corporate Center North Tower) Philippine Commercial & Industrial Bank Tower 2; Philippine Commercial International Bank (PCIBank), Makati Avenue cor H.V. Dela Costa, Makati, 1992 (now BDO Corporate Center South Tower) Benguet Center,[17] Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, 1983 (now demolished in 2011); BDO Ortigas Center Island Development Bank, Brunei, 1983 L.V. Locsin Building, Makati Avenue, Makati, 1987 Samba-Likhaan AILM, Quezon City, 1992 Ayala-Laguna Technopark Administration Building, Sta Rosa, Laguna, 1993 Hi-Cement Administration Building, Norzagaray, Bulacan, 1994 Business World Publishing Corporation Building, 1994 Bacnotan Cement Plant Administration Building, Bacnotan, La Union, 1995 Philippine Stock Exchange Plaza, Ayala Ave, Makati, 1995 Ayala Triangle Tower one,[18] Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1996 Ayala Avenue Pedestrianization Underpass, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1966 Sets for Theatrical Production Sets for Various Ballets by Ricardo Casell, 1954 Lady Be Good production by Frederico Elizarde, 1954 Noche Buena, CCP Dance Co., 1970 Jewels, CCP Dance Co., 1970 Madame Butterfly, CCP Dance Co., 1972 Lucifer, Martha Graham Dance Co., for its 50th Anniversary Celebration, New York, 1975 Adoration, Martha Graham Dance Co., New York, 1976 Point of Crossing, Martha Graham Dance Co., New York, 1976 Larawan ng Pilipino Bilang Artista, CCP, 1989 La Traviata, CCP, July 1990 Madame Butterfly, CCP 1994 Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ballet Philiipines, 1994 Suite for Lindy, from Ballet Philippines’ Ellias, CCP, 1995 Interior Design Leandro V. Locsin Residence, Forbes Park, Makati, 1963 Locsin Architectural Offices, Edsa, Makati, 1966 Laguna Estate and Development Corp. Office, Makati, 1966 Theater for the Performing Arts, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Manila, 1969 C.J. Yulo and Sons Executive Offices, Pasong Tamo, Makati, 1970 Philippine Bank of Commerce Executive Suites, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1971 U.S.I. Executive Offices, Makati Stock Exchange Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati 1971 Filipinas Life Assurance Co. (Annex) Executive, Makati, 1971 Ayala Corporation Offices and Penthouse, Makati Stock Exchange Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1972 Leandro V. Locsin Beach House, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, 1972 Kodak Philippines Ltd. Offices, Pasong Tamo, Makati, 1974 Ayala Museum Executive Offices, Makati Avenue, Makati, 1974 (now renovated in 2004 by his son Arch. Andy Locsin) Population Center, Makati, 1974 Nutrition Center of the Philippines, Makati, 1975 Asian Center and Research for Social Welfare, Makati, 1976 Philippine International Convention Center, CCP Complex, Manila, 1976 Philippine Plaza Hotel, CCP Complex, Manila, 1976 (now Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel) Manila Hotel, Luneta, Manila, 1976 Locsin Offices, Locsin Building, Ayala Avenue, Makati, 1989 Supreme Court Building, Taft Avenue, Manila, 1991 French Embassy Headquarters, Makati, 1992 Phinma Group of Companies HRD, Makati, 1994 Hi-Cement Administration Building, Norzagaray, Bulacan, 1994 Philippine Stock Exchange Plaza, Makati, 1994 Filipinas Heritage Library (formerly Nielsen Tower), Makati Avenue, Makati, 1996 LEANDRO LOCSIN AND HIS WORKS As you see, Leandro Locsin is one of the best architects here in the Philippines. He was born August 15, 1928 and a Filipino architect, artist, and interior designer. Known for his use of concrete, floating volume and simplistic design in his various projects. An avid collector, he was fond of modern painting and Chinese ceramics. He was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture in 1990 by President Corazon C. Aquino. He was born August 15, 1928 in Silay City, Negros Occidental, a grandson of the first governor of the province.  He later studied at the De La Salle Brothers in 1935 before returning to Negros due to the Second World War. He returned to Manila to study Pre-Law, before shifting to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Music at the University of Santo Tomas. Although he was a talented pianist, he later shifted again to Architecture, just a year before graduating. He was married to Cecilia Yulo, to which he had two children, one of whom is also an architect. These are some works of Leandro Locsin …  CHURCH OF THE RISEN LORD.                      CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES                                         The parish of holy sacrifice ( SIMBAHANG BILOG) In 1974, he was commissioned to design the Ayala Museum, which housed the Ayala’s art collection. It was known for the juxtaposition of huge blocks to facilitate the interior of the exhibition. Locsin was a close friend of the Ayalas. Before taking the board examination, he took his apprenticeship at Ayala and Company (Now the Ayala Corporation) and was even asked to design the first building in Ayala Avenue, and several of their residences. When the collection of the Ayala Museum was moved to its current location, the original was demolished, with Locsin’s permission. The current building was dedicated in 2004, and was designed by the L. V. Locsin and Partners, led by Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr. Most of Locsin’s work has been inside the country, but in 1970, he designed the Philippine Pavilion of the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. His largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei. Locsin also designed some of the buildings at the UP Los Baños campus. The Dioscoro Umali Hall, the main auditorium, is clearly an example of his distinct architecture, with its large canopy that make it resemble the main theatre of the CCP. Most of his work is concentrated on the the Freedom Park, with the Student Union Building, once damaged by a fire, the Carillon, the Continuing Education Center and the auditorium. He also designed UPLB’s Main Library, SEARCA Residences, and several structures at the National Arts Center (housing the Philippine High School for the Arts) situated at Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna. In 1992, he received the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize from Fukuoka City. Locsin’s last work, ironically, was also a church in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. Leandro V. Locsin died on Nov 15, 1994 in Makati City. The campus of De La Salle-Canlubang, built in 2003 on a land donated by his family, was named after him.   The parish of holy sacrifice About The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice is the landmark Catholic chapel in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Known for its architectural design, the church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum respectively. The structure was designed by the late National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Locsin, which was only one of the five national artists who collaborated on the project. Alfredo Juinio served as the structural engineer for the project. The church is adjacent to the U.P. Health Service Building and the U.P. Shopping Center, and is serviced by all of the university’s jeepney routes. A Brief History Initially, Leandro Locsin designed the church for the Ossorio family, who was planning to build a chapel in Negros. Unfortunately, when Frederic Ossorio left for the United States, the plans for the chapel were scrapped. However, in 1955, then University of the Philippines, Diliman Catholic Chaplain, Fr. John Delaney, S.J. commissioned Locsin to design a chapel that is open and can easily accommodate 1,000 people. The Church of Holy Sacrifice is the first round chapel in the Philippines with the altar in the middle, and the first to have a thin shell concrete dome. The floor of the church was designed by Arturo Luz, the Stations of the Cross by Vicente Manansala and Ang Kiukok, and the double-sided crucifix and altar base by Napoleon Abueva, all of whom are now National Artists. Being a pioneering building, it almost suffered a setback during the construction of the dome when the weather suddenly changed as the concrete was being poured. If it had rained, the concrete would have not settled, and the whole project would have been in jeopardy. The first mass in the church was celebrated on December 20, 1955. Since then, there have been modifications to the church and its surroundings. The gigantic dome, which used to be white, is now green. The altar base was also changed from wood to marble, still by Napoleon Abueva. Perhaps the most significant change is that the church is now fenced off, and the once open grounds that surrounded the church are now landscaped. On January 12, 2005, the church was recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum, respectively. During the recognition ceremony, National Historical Institute Chairman Ambeth R. Ocampo lauded the church as a “masterpiece of Filipino artistry and ingenuity”. Currently, the parish is spearheading a project that aims to restore the dome of the historic church. Architecture The dome of the church is supported by pillars located at the sides of the church, so that there are no supports to block the space inside. The unique design of the dome allows natural lighting and ventilation. At the middle of the dome is a circular skylight, which supports the triangular bell tower. The bell tower then extends to the interior, supporting the crucifix. The arrangement of the interior of the church is concentric, with the altar in the middle. CHURCH OF THE RISEN LORD   A sawali chapel of nipa and bamboo was shared by three faith groups – Catholics, Protestants, and Iglesia ni Cristo. In the next few years, two iconic buildings were constructed – the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, now a national historical landmark, designed by National Artist Leandro Locsin. The other was Architect Cesar Concio’s Church of the Risen Lord. The Oblation sculpted by Guillermo Tolentino in 1935 was transferred from Manila during the 40th anniversary of the Diliman campus. A Priest, Four Artists & Two Engineers Fr. John Delaney, the controversial but charismatic Jesuit chaplain assigned to the campus, orchestrated the project. National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin cut his teeth designing it. Dean Alfredo Juinio of the UP College of Engineering came up with the innovative thin-shell approach which a young David Consunji implemented to perfection using the simplest of machinery and lots of guts. Finally, three cutting-edge artists – Napoleon Abueva, Arturo Luz and Vincente Manansala – created the crucifix, floor and murals respectively, which started them on the road to national artist status. (Another national artist, in music this time, Jose Maceda, would premier his concert “Pagsamba” there in 1968 and repeat it regularly in the same venue.) One renowned religious leader, four national artists and two giants in Philippine engineering and construction make for a really special structure …and a compelling story of how it got built. The UP transferred to Diliman in 1949. It was meant to do so in 1942 as part of a massive transfer of civic structures that included a new capitol complex at the elliptical circle. The war intervened. Immediately after, the future campus was commandeered by the American Armed Forces as their headquarters. The two Juan Arellano-designed structures built in 1941 meant for the colleges of law and education became military offices. Around it rose dozens of quonset huts and a chapel of wood, galvanized iron roofing, bamboo and sawali that had a distinctive vernacular-inspired roof (my suspicion is that it was also Arellano-designed because of some references in the literature to his experimentation in pitch-roofed silhouettes for the state university’s architecture). 1947, when the University of the Philippines was still in Padre Faura, Manila, a group of Protestant students started a movement named Christian Youth Movement (CYM) which aims to “make relevant Christian presence in the university campus”. They sought help from the Philippine Federation of Christian Churches (PFCC), now the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).  When the Diliman campus became the main campus of UP in 1949, the UPCYM also transferred to Diliman. With the new university setting, they stayed at a sawali chapel – a chapel made of bamboo and nipa – and shared it with two other religious groups, namely theUP Student Catholic Action (UPSCA) and the Iglesia Filipina Independencia.  Eventually, these three religious groups started to have conflicts among their schedules, like for the Protestant worship services and the Catholic masses. Also, each group started to receive more and more members, making the chapel too crowded to accommodate all of them. So in 1952, the UPCYM launched their own fund drive, for them to be able to build their own Protestant chapel and student center inside the campus. March 16 of that year, they held a concert at the Central Church, Manila, with Ramon Tapales and Flora Zarco-Rivera of the UP Conservatory of Music and Luz Morales of the Centro Escolar University as conductors.  In 1953, Cesar Cancio and his architectural firm presented proposed blueprints for the Church and the student center to the NCCP and the UP Regent of Boards. The following year,1954, the Church of the Risen Lord and the Student Center was built. Its groundbreaking ceremonies were held on February 7 of that year. 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/