Pablo Antonio

            Pablo S. Antonio, National Artist in Architecture (1976), pioneered modern Philippine architecture. Antonio was born in Manila's Binondo neighborhood in 1901, orphaned at the age of 12, and worked part-time during the day to complement his studies at night. He studied architecture at Mapua Institute of Technology before transferring to University of London thanks to a scholarship from Ramon Arevalo, the Legislative Building's chief engineer (now National Museum of the Philippines where Antonio assist in the design and construction). He received his diploma in 1927 after only three years of study (normal is 5 years).

            He designed the Ideal Theater in Avenida, Rizal Avenue in 1933, which is one of his most well-known works in architecture. Nicanor Reyes, the founder of Far Eastern University, worked with him to construct various structures on campus. The FEU campus is the biggest surviving ensemble of Art Deco architecture in Manila, and it got an Honorable Mention nomination from UNESCO in 2005 for the organization's 2005 Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.

            Antonio’s architecture incorporates Art Deco styles, which were popular at the time. His design is centered on clean structural design and simplicity. The lines are straight and smooth, and any bends are incorporated into the framework. He considers usefulness to be more important than aesthetics. Antonio's designs emphasize the utilization of natural light and cross ventilation to the greatest extent possible, and he seeks to make each building distinctive by avoiding apparent trademarks. "Buildings should be planned with austerity in mind and its stability forever as the goal of true architecture," Antonio is quoted as saying, "that buildings must be progressive, simple in design but dignified, true to a purpose without resorting to an applied set of aesthetics, and should eternally recreate truth."

Ideal Theater (1933)

Far Eastern University (1930)

Boulevard-Alhambra (now called Bel-Air) Apartments Building (1937)

Facade of White Cross Sanitarium (1933)




Reference: 

http://noypicollections.blogspot.com/2011/08/pablo-antonio-national-artist-in.html





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