CHURCH ARCHITECTURE

VIGAN CHURCH, Ilocos Sur

finished in 1800
located within the grid iron planned
streets of a colonial town
baroque elements include protruding
columns and solid frames; three
arched doorways leading to three
naves at the first level, guarded by
ionic pillars with chinese fu dogs
urn-like finial at pediment

SANTA MARIA CHURCH, Ilocos Sur

constructed late 18th century, 85
steps leading to the church was built
by Augustinian Benigno Fernandez
massive brick church perched on a hill
faade has circular buttresses, three
openings and a blind niche, semicircular pediment

TUMAUINI CHURCH, Isabela

Instructor: Architect Eva Maria Villanueva

CHURCH ARCHITECTURE
simple, patterned after early Christian types; either
rectangular or cruciform with simple naves and aisles
thick walls reinforced with heavy buttresses for
earthquakes protection
immense sizes because of colonial policy which
dictated that a church should be built for every 5000
baptized
materials used include: volcanic tuff (adobe),
hardened lava, volcanic ejecta, sandstone, river
boulders, clay, corals, limestone, oyster shells, eggs
SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLES
PAOAY CHURCH, Ilocos Norte
built in 1694 by Antonio Estavillo,
completed 1702-1710
faade: rectangular, with arched doorway,
four continuous pilasters alternating with
niches
finials and crenellations at pediment niche at
the apex
huge volutes with low relief lines tracing the
contour to disguise the large buttresses

begun 1783-1788 by Dominican Domingo

Forto and town mayor Pablo Sason; 18031808 circular belltower was completed
pampango artisans carved the hardwood
molds for the clay insets that decorate the
church
ultra-baroque : unique for its extensive use
of baked clay both for wall finishes and
ornamentation
ornamental details : serpentine reliefs,
spiral curves, flowers, foliage, sunfaces,
cherubs and saints
circular belltower with white limestone finish,
decorated with bright red clay rosettes and
festoons

ANGAT CHURCH, Bulacan

begun 1756-1773 by Augustinian Gregorio
Giner; completed in 1802 by Fray Joaquin
Calvo
baroque style : coupled Corinthian and
Doric columns divide faade into levels or
segments, statues ringed with wreath-like
ornaments flank niches, windows with basrelief curtains

plain three-storey belltower with

balustered top

BARASOAIN CHURCH, Bulacan

1871-1878 : stone church was
constructed to replace wooden
structure; 1880 earthquake ruined
the church
1885 : Augustinian Juan Giron
commissioned a builder named
Magpayo to rebuild the church
variation on the circle motif
flutings on pilasters with ends blunted
into semicircles detract from the
NeoClassical
belltower has a cubic base, three layes
accented by blind and open windows,
top has crenellations and six-sided
cone

SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH, Manila

a church built for all times after previous
churches were damaged by earthquakes in
1863 and 1880
designed in the Gothic style (without flying
buttresses) by Genaro Palacios in Revivalist
architecture
made entirely of steel; plans were sent to
Belgium where the parts were made in
sections then transported to Manila
interiors were painted to resemble faux
marble; adorned with sculpture by Eusebio
Garcia and painting by Lorenzo Rocha

SAN AUGUSTIN CHURCH, Manila

oldest church in the Philippines;
built 1587-1607 by Juan Macias
according to the plans approved by the
Royal Audencia de Mexico and by a
Royal Cedula
1854 : Don Luciano Oliver (Municipal
Architect of Manila) directed the
renovation of the faade by adding to
the height of the towers; these towers
were damaged in the 1863 earthquake
and were never rebuilt
plaza adorned with Fu dogs represents
colonial urban planning
High Renaissance : superpositioned
Tuscan orders at first level, Corinthian
capitals at second level; circular
windows at plain pediment; heavily
carved, two-paneled main door with
images of St. Augustine and St. Monica
amidst Philippine flora
nave is flanked by 12 collateral
chapels each housing a Baroque or
NeoClassic retablo
Baroque elements include trompe loeil
: sculpture by Italian artists Cesare
Dibella and Giovanni Alberoni on
the ceiling and pilasters
cloisters built around an atrium with a
garden planted by Augustinian
botaninst Manuel Blanco

TAAL
CHURCH,
Batangas
1858 : Fray Marcos Anton, with the help of
the architect Don Luciano Oliver, started
construction; the church was completed in
1878
built on top of a hill and may be reached
through flagstone steps, unobstructed by
other buildings
faade : arched windows alternate with Ionic
columns at first level, Corinthian at upper
level; projected cornices and mouldings; three
pediments

interior is cavernous bur drab with

stout piers and semi-circular apse :
mathematical exactness rather than
ornamentation

DARAGA CHURCH, Albay

established by people who fled the
eruption of Mt. Mayon form Cagsawa
the Franciscan wanted a church with
the best features of Romanesque and
Gothic, but it was executed by the
carvers in Baroque
faade : a whole tablet without
columns and cornices, only
symmetrically positioned

fenestrations, apertures and niches; whorls,

twisted columns, foliage, medallions, statues
and reliefs

MIAGAO CHURCH, Iloilo

present church was built 1786-1797 under the
supervision of fray Francisco Gonzales
Maximo; a storey was added to the left belfry
in 1830
also served as fortress against Muslim pirates,
simple and massive structure mixed with
ornate details
local botanical motifs at faade reliefs
reminiscent of cookie cutouts (de gajeta),
used to describe 16th century Mexican
architectural reliefs

SANTO NINO DE CEBU BASILICA, Cebu

built by Fray Juan de Albarran about
400 years ago, on the site where a
soldier found an image of the Sto. Nino
in a settlement that the Spanish
soldiers have burned down
the Convent was founded in 1565,
making it the first to be built in the
country
constructed with stones from Panay
and Capiz
faade : blending of Moorish,
Romanesque and NeoClassical
elements; trefoils on the doorways;
two levels divided into three segments
and topped by pediment; retablo at
the center
belltower has four-sided balustraded
dome
interior : pierced screen with floral
motifs, pineapple decors at the
choirloft, corn cobs at the capital