Juan Nakpil

            Juan Felipe De Jesus Nakpil also known as Juan Nakpil (May 26, 1899 – May 7, 1986) was a Filipino architect, teacher, and community leader. He is the first National Artists for Architecture in the Philippines in the year 1973. He had his early education in Quiapo and Tondo before enrolling in Manila High School and graduating in 1917. He subsequently went to the University of the Philippines to study engineering. He also studied sculpture under Maestro Ocampo and freehand drawing, painting, and decorative arts with Fabian de la Rosa and Fernando Amorsolo while at UP. He moved to the United States two years later and enrolled in the University of Kansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1922. He had already enrolled at Cornell University to study hydraulic engineering when he received a message from his uncle, Dr. Bautista Lin, who was paying for his entire education, recommending him to change courses. He travelled to France in the summer of 1925, following his uncle's advice, to study architecture at the Fountainbleau School of Fine Arts, where he got his diploma of architecture. The next year, he completed his architecture studies with a master's degree from Harvard University in Boston, thanks to a Joseph Evelynth fellowship. During his time at Harvard, he competed in a competition accessible to Boston Institute of Technology students, members of the Architects Club of Boston, and Harvard architecture students and he was the one who won in the said competition.

            The greatest contribution he shares in the field of architecture is that there is such a thing as Philippine Architecture, espousing architecture reflective of Philippine traditions and culture. Private Filipino architects and engineers are now allowed to participate in the design and execution of government projects, thanks to his passionate representation and efforts. In the buildings that make up the country's legacy today, he has combined strength, utility, and beauty. He created the altar for the 1937 International Eucharistic Congress, and in 1930, he renovated and expanded Quiapo Church, adding a dome and a second belfry to the original plan. Among others, Nakpil’s major works are the Geronimo de Los Reyes Building, Magsaysay Building, Rizal Theater, Capitol Theater, Captain Pepe Building, Manila Jockey Club, Rufino Building, Philippine Village Hotel, University of the Philippines Administration and University Library, and the reconstructed Rizal house in Calamba, Laguna.

Geronimo de los Reyes Building

Magsaysay Building

Rizal Theatre

University of the Philippines Administration and University Library (1/2)


University of the Philippines Administration and University Library (2/2)




Reference:

https://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-philippines/juan-f-nakpil/

https://bahaynakpil.org/juanfnakpil/



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